Return To Port Charles
by Noelerin
Summary: WIP AR After Alexis realized she was pregnant, she left for Colorado. Michael's shooting brings her home. slight Sexis, slight J-Lex. r and r if you want to. Updated.
1. Chapter 1

Rating: PG for safety's sake.  
Genre: Slight crossover with STARGATE SG-1, but my own version of the show. Alternate universe and, though there are pairings, is mostly a friendship piece.  
Pairings: Jax/Carly. Sonny/Kate. Faint Jerry/Alexis (mostly on his end). Robin/Patrick (though I doubt they will be here much). Max/Diane.  
Author's Notes: You don't really need to know anything specific about STARGATE (the show (which has added SG-1 to its title) or the movie) to understand this story. (Well, other than it has to do with alien/human relations. And that Jack O'Neill is played by Richard Dean Anderson and not Kurt Russell, while Daniel Jackson is portrayed by Michael Shanks and not James Spader, from Boston Legal.) I just figured that a show dealing with aliens works with a show that actually _**had**_ an alien on it. Plus, I like the idea of the smart, witty Alexis working with the silver fox Jack O'Neill, the brilliant, totally sexy Daniel Jackson, and the superman that _**is**_ Teal'c.  
I also wanted to avoid all of that crap with her split personality disorder and the _affair_ with Ned (never could wrap my head around Nexis). So, Kristina is alive and well, living with Ned and Brooke Lynne. Therefore, their daughter's been named after her mother and Sonny's-Kristen Adela Davis.  
Sonny does know about his daughter but Alexis was able to come up with a _legal_ way to keep him from taking or gaining joint custody of Kristen, though he has visitation rights. Albeit, they are supervised. I just didn't like what they did to her after they slept together. It made absolutely no sense to me, none whatsoever. They took her character and twisted her about, then destroyed her very successful career and that still hasn't stopped. Ever notice that after she had Kristina, she hasn't won a major case (other than the one with Manny Ruiz) _**and**_ they turned her into a lunatic?  
Molly exists and may or may not be explained, it all depends on whether or not I think the information is pertinent to the story. All one needs to know is that she isn't Ric's child. I don't know, I could never get past the fact that he got together with her in the first place to have a hold over his brother. I mean, he even went behind her back to get to the truth about Kristina's paternity. And how honorable is that? Yes, I can see how he could fall in love with her, they have so much in common and she is both beautiful and cute. Still, there's also something about them together that bothers me. Especially since I got the feeling that Ric desired Sonny (and, yes, I _**do**_ mean that the way its read) and the only way he could get close to him was through the women that Sonny had bedded. (Really, I think the only woman he had sex with that Sonny didn't was Elizabeth, though you can correct me if I'm wrong.)  
At least with Jerry, he doesn't see Alexis and her child as a way of sticking it to his brother. He doesn't even want her because his brother had her. I'm of the opinion that he genuinely likes her, though he doesn't really understand or get why he likes her so much.  
Consequently, because of this move, she does not know that Sam is her oldest daughter. She has met her though and has formed no real opinion about her. In other words, major Retconning. Jason and Sam did break up, but not over the whole Ric/Sam thing-never happened.  
Basic Summary: After she finds out that she's pregnant with Kristen, Alexis quit as Sonny's lawyer and left, getting some room to breathe, going to see an old friend from Yale, Janet Fraiser. While staying with her, she got a job offer from General Hammond about being a legal consultant for the civilians who work at the SGC, a secret government organization hidden beneath Cheyenne Mountain. She also serves as a consultant on treaties with their allies, even visiting some planets to make sure she understands the legalities of the people there so as to make the treaties fair and equal for all the parties involved.  
Warnings: Vaguely suggestive about the true relationship between Sonny and Jason. (It's rather cannon if you think about how freakin' loyal they are to each other. Really, not even a woman can separate them for long. And no matter what the show is showing now, I doubt Sonny and Jason will ever break up permanently. They really are the strongest pairing on GH, whether they are a couple in the truest sense of the word or not.)  
Author's Musings: How very bizarre, some of what I wrote days ago is on the show.  
Disclaimer: I do not own STARGATE SG-1 or General Hospital. They are owned by ABC and MGM respectively. I cannot believe I forgot this very important detail when I first posted this up. I do apologize for the forgetting.

654321

Scene: Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colorado  
The Office of Alexis Davis  
Date: April 7, 2008

"The main problem you have with this treaty, General O'Neill is that," the phone's sudden ringing cut her off mid sentence and she looked at it, more than slightly irritated. This could _not_ be happening to her. After two weeks of trying to catch General Jack O'Neill between his meetings and her own to pin him down to this meeting so that they could go over the logistics of the treaty with the Denarii, she could ill afford an interruption at this time.

Knowing him as well as she did, she knew he'd take this opportunity to get out of this meeting. She knew it was his way of saying that he trusted her instincts. That he trusted the decisions she made about this _**but**_ he needed to know what was in this deal. It was his name that would ultimately be upon the contract, not hers. Jack would be the one they called upon to honor the agreement.

Yet, ignoring it was not an option for it could be from her doctor relating to her tests. Although, she wasn't really worried that this call was from her doctor. And if it was about Kristen or Molly, Janet would have come straight to her office with word. With a resigned sigh, she picked it up, "Call me back in five," she tersely ordered.

"_Alexis, please_," the voice pleaded with her to listen, sending shivers of memories through her, not all of them unpleasant. But, for the most part, they shattered her peace of mind and sense of well being. Ripples and repercussions of decisions she had made echoed painfully in her mind and her eyes went to the series of pictures on her wall, staring at it over Jack's shoulder with blank eyes. Her daughter's cheerful eyes beamed at her as she swung on the small porch swing Jack had built their second year here. "_I need to talk to you_."

Snapping back to herself, she firmed her resolve. That was part of her past, one she had not intention of revisiting. _**Ever**_, she had thought that she had made that quite clear the last time they called her, trying to convince her to relent. That Sonny's life wasn't as bad as she made it seem. She knew better and would not be swayed by him or anyone else. It wasn't her life at stake-it was her _daughter's_ life and that was the difference. If she was labeled an over-protective, paranoid, hysterical woman, so be it.

At least Kristen was alive and well, far away from her father' many enemies. Enemies who seemed to be multiplying daily. "We have nothing to discuss any longer, Mr. Morgan. I would appreciate it if you did not call me again."

The phone moved away from her ear and she barely heard his hoarse, nearly shouted, _"Alexis, please, Michael's been shot_."

"When?" she asked, almost unwillingly pulling the phone back to her ear as she heard and reheard his words in her mind. It was a nightmare come true. Something she had warned and warned and _**warned**_ them all about being a possibility when they raised a child around guns until she felt stupid for trying to save the life of a small child, one she had helped put _into_ such a dangerous and hellish existence. That knowledge was the only thing that had kept her trying for so long to get Sonny to change his lifestyle, for the sake of that precious child.

"_Early this evening_," he exhaled heavily. "_Please, Alexis, come home_."

"Jason, I have a new life now - one that does not include the terrors that stalk your chosen world and the lifestyle you have chosen to live. I made that choice." It was an almost physical ache to refuse his request but she needed to. Over six years ago, she had made a choice-a choice to remove herself and Kristen from Port Charles and the blood that flowed in the streets like rivers.

Of course, her job as a litigator and negotiator for Cheyenne Mountain 's…various extra-curricular activities had the same kind of danger built into it but it was different from what went on in Port Charles. Back there, the violence was deliberate. It came about because the mobs took over and brought their wars with them. Most of the situations she found herself in now were merely happenstance. The military worked very hard to ensure that such situations did not occur. If they did, they tried to improve their reaction time. They went through every action and reaction to see what had caused the situation so that they could avoid it in the future.

These fights were not provoked attacks against a specific person. A person who only increased security and did nothing to take care of the source of the attacks. He never addressed the truth behind the attacks, that it was himself and the life he choose to live that brought them about.

"_Sonny needs you_." Those were words he never thought would come from his lips again about this woman. For the life of him, he couldn't understand just why he was calling her now or how he knew it was the only choice he had because Sonny wouldn't listen to him - and he listened to Alexis to the point that he put her before his reputation with his men.

And he was tired, so very tired. Tired of being the peacekeeper and the one who had to be constantly level headed, emotionless so that those around him could emote freely. So that those around him could vent and take it out on him, expecting him to just take it and be strong for them all.

Why did no one get that he couldn't be that strong all the time? Well, Spinelli got it - but he wanted his friends to see he was only human. While he knew that he could be stoic, he was still a human being with thoughts and feelings-feelings that needed an outlet too.

And he couldn't dump this on Elizabeth, she had to protect her sons from this – now more than ever. If his enemies found out about Jake being his son, there was no telling what they might do, even though he had willingly cut himself off from them. That might not be enough in their eyes to save him. Why would Sonny want to do this to himself?

"And what Sonny wants, Sonny gets, right?" she tiredly asked him, a cynical smile crossing her face. Rubbing her throat, she caught Jack's eyes and shrugged. For a moment she wondered why he hadn't taken the opportunity to escape. Her heart tightened as she realized that he _had_ to have heard the words about Michael being shot, seeing the dreadful pain in them. Memories of his own son's death by a bullet must have surfaced, holding him there, a prisoner of the past, waiting to hear if that dreadful history had repeated itself.

"_I can't make you come back but I really think you need to come home_."

"You would do anything to make him happy, wouldn't you?" she repeated words thrown at her long ago, noting the irony in it. At one time, those words would have been true of her-and she was ashamed of it. "I wonder if you realize what that says about you, Jason. Look, I've got to go."

"_Promise me you'll think about it_," he pleaded.

Exhaling heavily, "I'll think it over," she finally agreed before slowly hanging up.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Not really a new chapter. I just split the first part in half. Did some editing and revisions to them both. There is really nothing new here, just a few spelling corrections and whatnot. You may skip to the next chapter if you wish - that one I asure you is new. :-)_

654321

"_**You are no longer Michael's father**_!" Carly's harsh voice rang in the hallway. "_**In fact, you never really were his father because you have no idea what it means to be a father. Betrayed though you felt by Mike's actions, at least he tried to protect you from his lifestyle by leaving you. He tried to protect you from his life, which is more than what you've done for your children, continuing along this path you're treading. You let him get shot protecting your newest whore!**_"

"_**You can't take my son away from me**_**!**" Sonny snarled, tired of this argument that had been going on for the past two days. Back and forth, back and forth, neither of them gave an inch on this. Angry brown met furious blue, _terribly dead blue_ in a contest of wills, he did not even flinch as he sharply ordered. "_**I'll fight you on this. He's my son too. Max, get Diane started on this**_."

"I leave only to return and find that you both still have the emotional maturity of play school children," Alexis dryly said, holding Kristen's hand tightly with her right, Molly resting on her left hip. The very expression of tiredness on their faces revealed that they had been travelling since they got the news to arrive as fast as they could. "Why am I not surprised to see that you care more for evening the score with each other than Michael's welfare?"

Sonny's eyes practically bugged out of his face when he heard her voice. It was something he hadn't heard - _**in person**_ that was - in over six years, that O'Neill fellow always handled him – or Janet, but he didn't like to think of that woman: she was downright scary. Even when she had returned for Kristen's health, they had not said a word to each other. He had forgotten how very aristocratic and yet, amused she could sound whenever she scolded him or took Carly to task. Their faces mirrored each other's shock as they stared disbelievingly at her.

"Alexis, you were right about Sonny," she said. For once, her words sounded neither mocking nor cruel. There was an honesty in her face that made Alexis very uncomfortable. It was not a look she associated with Carly easily. Well, it wasn't one she ever associated with her. It just wasn't Carly. This woman before her was someone strange, someone unknown to Alexis and she didn't know how to act. "I was foolish, berating and mocking you for keeping Kristen all to yourself, allowing him only minimal contact with her. He's not fit to be a parent."

"Carly, don't put me on some pedestal. I'm far from a saint," she calmly said, noticing Jason in the corner. He was staring at her as if she was some angel from heaven, descending to help him out of this mess. When had that happened? When had his look of utter and complete disdain for her changed to this…this thankfulness? Did he not remember that he was one of the front line men ready to lynch her for betraying his precious Sonny and doing what was best for their daughter?

_Just how bad was Michael that a so called sworn enemy had not only called her, but looked to her as if she was his only help? His salvation_?

_And what in hell did he expect her to do_? "Do not drag me and my beliefs into this. You did what you believed was the right thing to do for Michael."

"Yes, and now he's _**suffering**_. My baby is in pain and I can't hold him. I can't comfort him the way I should be able to. He's my _child, my flesh and very blood_. Michael needs me and yet, I can't do a thing for him. I can only _**sit**_ and _**talk**_ to him. He's suffering because of Sonny. Because of the people Sonny associates with. Because I choose to make a gangster, a mobster his father…" she trailed off, horror filling her eyes as she connected the dots, as painful reality hit her. "It was me. Michael wouldn't be in there if I had raised him on my own. What did I do?"

"What you thought was best for him. What we convinced you to do for both of your sakes," she softly reiterated, reminding Carly that it wasn't only her who had made this damning choice.

She stood there, thinking carefully before making a decision. One she never thought she'd ever make considering their history and the definite animosity they still felt towards each other. Still, she knew what she'd want in this circumstances and only hoped that it would be accepted with the honesty it was offered in.

It was still unnerving to her. Yet, she was resolved and breathed in deeply, slowly releasing Kristen's hand. Sliding her bag from her shoulder, she knelt down and put Molly on her feet. Knowing that her girls would take care of each other, she rose to her feet. She could hear as her two girls climbed up on the chairs and sat down, patiently watching the adults as they circled about each other.

Slowly approaching the other woman, she drew in another shaky, painful breath, trying to remain strong and steady for them all. No weakness or doubt could she show in front of them. If she was to be successful, she needed to remain in full and total control of the circumstances. The tension in the room made her nose twitch and she wished she was anywhere but here. But she knew - this was where she needed to be. They all needed her to be the ice princess she was known for being, the neurotic, highly capable lawyer who could talk circles around even the most experienced attorneys. "And you need to do it again."

"I won't let that monster near my child!" she snarled, even as she leaned forward into the offered embrace. "You can't make me do it again."

"Carly, he's the only father Michael's ever really known," Jason softly said, reading Alexis' look easily. It had been years since they had seen each other and yet, he could still easily interpret her looks and feelings. Their strange partnership, while shaky, was still there. It was very odd and very comforting at the same time.

He really hoped that she was there to stay. Whether or not Sonny admitted it, he needed her there. There was only so much he could do for his best friend. In the end, he was definitely a man who followed after him, not challenged him. Even with his memory back, he knew that was not a path he could easily walk. Oddly enough, they both needed Alexis' moral compass (shaky though it could be) guiding them in their lives.

"Because he's the only one I let him know," her voice was muffled by Alexis' shoulder. Carly clung to the woman, almost ashamed of herself. But she needed this. She _needed_ another mother there, one who understood where she was coming from. With all the strength in her, she hoped that Jax had gotten in touch with her own mother. As much as she didn't want to ask Bobbie to come home from the International Nurse's Conference, she wanted her mom here with her.

She needed her mother, now more than she had ever needed her before.

"AJ was a dangerous man," Jason said, a deadened sound there. It easily masked the pain he felt as he thought about his brother. Losing Emily and his father so close together and so very recently, made him all too painfully aware of how fragile really life was. While he and AJ had never seen eye to eye on anything, they had been brothers. So much time had been lost because they had been on opposite sides for so long, unwilling to listen to each other. Time that could never be regained. "And, yes, so is Sonny. I won't argue with that. He is an undeniably dangerous man. But he would never hurt a child deliberately."

He couldn't - not with the sight of Michael on that bed in his mind and tearing into his soul constantly.

Carly's head shot up and twisted about to glare at him, "Then why is Michael in that bed, unable to move? Why did he choose to protect _**Kate**_," the word came out like a hiss and a byword. An epitaph of hatred and loathing for the woman in question, "Over his son? A young boy whose only sin was in loving him? Whose only sin was in wanting to spend time with him. You would never have done that - you would have taken the bullet yourself. You would have found a way to protect all those with you, even if it meant standing in front of the rifle's mouth. I wish that I had made _**you**_ Michael's father."

Jason's mouth worked furiously but no sound escaped him. Why had he never thought to be prepared for her to say those damning words? After all they had been through together, he should have _known_ she would say something like that. Words that she _knew_ would cut into Sonny and leave him ragged and raw, open and bleeding for an even worse attack.

"Don't say a word, Sonny. Now is certainly _**not**_ the time," Alexis ordered, seeing him getting tenser by the moment. There was an inferno racing to break free from his control and she wanted to avert the catastrophe she could see coming. As always, she intercepted it and he responded to it. The tension was still there but he was standing down, letting her handle things with that absolute trust he still had in her.

It was disconcertingly like old times and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She was pretty sure it was a dangerous precedent for him to still be holding onto. As she wasn't part of his life anymore, he should have found himself another confidant. Yet, it was obvious that he had not and she couldn't figure out why. He needed one. "Carly, I know you don't like me or my advice. Heaven only knows, I can't stand you. But you need to listen to Jason."

"Why?" she snapped, glaring at her. Her head shook disdainfully. A part of her was very glad that Alexis was back for this. It was far easier and more comfortable for her to be angry at the lady lawyer. Having never been friends, she didn't mind hurting or tearing into Alexis. It killed her to be at odds with Jason - yet she would if he continued to side with Sonny against her. "So that he can convince me to let that monster near my baby once more? To let him take care of Michael?"

"No, because out of all of us, he's the one who knows you best. He's your best friend and you do him no credit by debasing that love and connection between you. Go with him, get something to eat, take a nap. _**Ah**_!" she held up a hand, cutting her off imperiously, "You'll do Michael no good if you're in a hospital bed far from him because you collapsed from exhaustion or dehydration or simple starvation. Michael needs you healthy and whole - something that won't happen if you don't take care of yourself."

"Why do you even care about what happens to me?" she asked, reading the utter - and quite surprising - sympathy in her eyes. They were bonding here and she wasn't sure what to do, though it was strangely comforting. She'd never really had a female friend, she could never consider Courtney a friend for they were kinda related, and never thought that it would be _Alexis_ who'd try to be a friend to her, not after all they had done to each other. Not after they had treated each other with such contempt and disdain, it was oddly disconcerting and yet, somehow right that it should be Alexis that was here with her and for her. Because she was there for her, to help her - not just Sonny like in the past. Alexis was there to help the both of them, if only she would let her do it.

It was truly bizarre.

"Because for some reason, my idiot of an ex-husband loves you," she replied, evenly meeting her eyes. There was no way she'd hold back and lie to Carly, pretend it was something other than what it was. The truth was, they were not friends or even really enemies. While they didn't like each other - would probably never like each other, that didn't mean Alexis didn't respect Carly for her courage and tenacity. As she told Sonny, there were things about this woman that she could admire.

One of them being her very ability to rise above the things life threw at her. While she personally thought that a lot of Carly's actions were self-defeating and amoral at times, she could admire her for sticking to her guns. For going after what she wanted with all that she had within her heart and soul. "Besides, when Kristen was sick, you made me take care of myself. Consider this as evening the odds between us again."

"Just can't stand to be in my debt, can you?" a tiny smile crossed her face. For the first time, she felt that she could identify equally with what Alexis went through when she found out about Kristen's sickness. No, it went further back. She could identify with what Alexis must have been feeling and thinking when she found out about her pregnancy. Even if she didn't like relating to her, she could respect the woman for having the courage to raise her daughter - well, her daughters - alone. She could admire her for holding firmly to her beliefs, for not allowing anyone to convince her that she was wrong. Alexis did what other single mothers did - lived without a man by their sides to help them, to share their burdens.

It seemed to be a very lonely way to live to Carly, yet somehow, Alexis - like many others - did it. It was as admirable as it was irksome. The woman truly was a superior pain in the butt. But this was one time that she was truly grateful for it.

And wasn't that just disturbing?

"Jason?" she asked, instead of answering, painfully aware of the knowing look she was getting from Carly. The man nodded, stepping forward to place an arm around Carly's waist, leading her silently away from them. Once the two had rounded the corner and disappeared, she faced Sonny, glaring at him. "I'll deal with you in a minute, you moronic imbecile. Don't you say a word," she warned him again when his mouth opened. "You don't want me to talk to you right now. You just don't."

Looking at Jax when it was obvious that Sonny would be silent, she shook her head at him. Clearly disappointed in him, "You are an even _**worse**_ imbecile than he is right now, so take that superior, pretentious smile off of your face, Jasper Jacks. What are you _**thinking**_? Carly needs your support in this, not you acting like a braying jackanapes. Take this advice in the heartfelt manner it was meant," she paused. Not for affect, but to take in a needed breath, "**CUT IT OUT**! You are _**not**_ two years old anymore, stop acting like it. Be the kind of husband Carly needs you to be right now, supportive of her even when you doubt her feelings about what is going on. Tearing into Jason and Sonny the way you always do will not bring you any closer to each other, it only pushes her away - and is an attack upon her.

"And, right now, she does _**not**_ need that kind of stress put upon her. Get you mind out of your personal vendetta against Sonny and Jason and put it where it really belongs, with Carly, your wife. This is the kind of situation that will make or break your marriage. Choose to make it, you dingbat. Carly needs you to be there for her, to support and hold her hand, even when it's difficult. She does not need you tear into her for her feelings, for believing that Michael will wake up soon. She will make up her mind about Michael's condition when she's good and ready, not when someone else forces her to. If you continue to force the issue like you always try to, you will push her away from you. So, I don't care what logic dictates or what the doctors tell everyone about Michael's true condition, she needs that belief that he will recover until she is ready to accept the truth on her own or she will lose her mind.

"She is a _mother_. And the worst thing a mother can feel is helpless. Right now, she needs to do this. She needs to believe that Michael is going to get better soon. You have to help her by supporting her - even though it is difficult for you because you can see the truth. You have accepted that truth, she hasn't. Again, you can't push her to accept it. And, I will repeat myself here, so you better open your ears and listen to me," she warned, taking another deep breath as she kept hold of his eyes.

"She _**damn well needs you right now**_! If you can't let yourself believe in miracles, believe in your wife. She's an incredible, pain in the ass woman, deserving of that belief for she has survived a whole hell of a lot. Carly is not stupid. Nor is she incapable of understanding the inevitable. But that needs to come on her own time table, not another's," she paused, unable to believe those words had come from her own mouth. "Believe in her, show her that support, and get your ass in there, talk to your stepson, show him that you love him _**and**_ his mother. That is what you need to be doing right now, not attacking the men who are the most important people in his life. The two men who have been in his life since the moment he was born. Whether you want it or not, they are _always_ going to be with her. _**Get over it, Jax**_. Sonny and Jason are a part of her. They are a part of Michael _**and**_ Morgan.

"You married her, for better _**and**_ for worse. I hate to say this, but they count as part of the for worse half of the vows. And you _knew_ this when you courted her, when you asked her to be your wife. Step up to the plate and accept them as part of the woman you claim to love. Go see Michael for he needs you as well, even if he stubbornly resists you and your efforts to raise and love him. Whether he can feel it or not, he needs all the love and support he can get right now. And _**you**_, my friend, are a vital part of that support system. Go forth and support your new family already," she finished, almost dizzy with the lack of breath getting into her lungs.

And she _**still**_ had one more speech to give.

Jax stared at her, utterly surprised by her rather virago of a speech defending his _**wife**_ of all people. A woman she honestly did not care for at all. Still, she defended her with the passionate intensity she always did. Her words resonated within him, reminding him of something that he should have already known – he did make these vows to her and had promised himself that this time, he would get it right. Yet, in all honesty, he shouldn't have been so surprised by this defense. Alexis was a woman of strong convictions - sometimes annoyingly so - but she _**always**_ defended those she thought needed it.

Her relationship with Sonny was a prime example of that. Bad or good for her he might've been, she never let that stop her from doing what needed to be done. She clung tenaciously to that friendship and defended it - and him - with every breath she took. The fact that she was here, trying to help them all, spoke of that loyalty and tenacious love for them all - even Carly. Even now, she was trying to help Sonny by helping them all find their way through this mess relatively intact. With her two girls, she shouldn't even be here – there was still danger - and yet, here she was, showing forth her loyalty and strong convictions. The last thing she wanted was to further tear apart the safe world of the two boys who were his sons - and that world included Sonny Corinthos.

He was man enough to admit that Alexis was right, he had to accept _all_ that Carly was - and that included the man before him and the man who was his wife's best friend. It was still going to be painful. Slowly nodding his head that he understood what she was telling him, he entered the room and closed the door behind him, "Hey, Michael. I'm sure you wondered what that was all about," he started to say, feeling very awkward. Glancing once out the window, he sat down and talked, becoming more comfortable with every word that fell from his lips.

"As for you, you overgrown, immature, selfish, idiot of a man, just who do you think you are threatening to take a child away from his desperately grieving mother?" she snapped at Sonny, the full weight of her eyes on him.

He squirmed under the look, feeling exactly like a naughty boy brought before the nuns for punishment for something he'd done. Alexis had always had that ability. It still unnerved him. He was used to making others fear him. With her, it had never even been a question - she just laughed in his face when he tried. "Just who do you think you are, threatening Carly like that? You don't understand what you're setting in motion and before you say anything to me let me remind you that I know who you really are, Michael Corinthos, Junior."

"Full name," Kristen whispered to Molly, "Daddy's in big trouble."

Molly giggled.

Alexis spared a smile for her girls before returning her look to him, eyes holding him in place easily. Things that she had been storing up inside for years, burst forth. There was no longer any real reason to hold back. "I remember everything you've ever said to me and what Carly said to you is reminiscent of something you wished your own mother had said to your stepfather. You always wanted her to take you away from him, yet you condemned me vilely for doing that very same thing. To save your daughter's life, I left you and everything I loved behind me. _**I**_ put my girl, my baby first - and was hated for it. You cannot have it both ways. One cannot be safe and yet stay in a perilous situation, no matter how safe it may appear on the surface. You have no concept of what it means to truly love someone. To love someone so much, you would give up everything for them - even a sense of normality and safety. As bad as the situation was at home, I'm sure that your mother thought it was better for you to be there than living on the run, constantly hiding from danger."

He flinched at the reference to his mother. "How dare you?" he bit out the words, unable to stop them. While concerned about her health, her words struck him to the core for he thought she knew him better. Of all the people who knew him, she knew him best - even better in some ways than Jason ever would. Even frayed, she remained in tune with him and she knew how deeply he cared for others. "I have loved."

"You would be surprised by what I dare to do now, Sonny," she warned, voice almost a growl. "And I am not finished talking to you, so you should sit down and listen. Sit down," she ordered, watching as he dropped. "As for your proclamations of loving, you've never loved enough or you would not be where you are today."

"Alexis," he tried to interrupt again, having the feeling he wasn't going to like this and he wanted to avert it.

Alexis always called him on his crap - she never took his threats seriously. Oddly enough, he missed that. So, it wasn't really the words he was dreading. There was a part of him that accepted that he needed to hear this. That it was the only way to find his way out of the darkness that was eking away at him.

Kate could only do so much for him. She was a creature of light and couldn't really understand the demons that ate at him. He loved her but she was different than he was. Even though she'd been involved with Trevor and his lifestyle, it had never truly touched her. She was clean, pure, untouched by the blood that stained his hands and his soul.

Alexis was different, though she too was of the light. Yet, she was like him, a similar creature in that both of them knew of the darkness inside. She knew of the demons raging inside, the ones that tore into one's very essence. It boiled down to a very simple fact. It really was a simple matter of her knowing him as he did her. As she had done so many times before, she would be his lifeline.

If she would only let him hold on long enough to find his way again.

But could he be selfish enough to ignore the true status of her health? He didn't like her coloring, the way her face was taking on a lovely shade of gray. Vaguely, he recalled Kristen telling him that her mommy had a spot on her lungs, one that was making her cough an awful lot. A spot that made her incredibly sick and tired. She had to have a surgery to remove it and was taking yucky medicine that made her tired and very sick.

So sick that she couldn't play with them anymore or read to them for long stretches of time like she used to, the girls had often been relegated to O'Neill's or Dr. Fraiser's care. And while he was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he liked them - when he wasn't being pushed away by them, that was - he did not like the fact that his girl was being raised by someone who was not family.

"Shut up, Corinthos, and listen to me for once in your life about something that is not related to the law or avoiding it as the case usually is for you. You say you love your sons, your daughter, _**prove it**_. Put your money where your mouth is and walk away. Get out of the business. Find a way to do this, safely and completely," she challenged, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart and the way she was struggling to breathe. "But you won't do that, will you? You won't leave because you're afraid of what will happen to you if you do. You won't because you are in a position of power and can continually test those around you. The place you are now is safe; it is comfortable to you because you can hide away. You are in control of the environment and those who enter it."

"Hide from what?" the question was pulled from him, almost against his will. Yet, it was not totally against it for she was one of the few people who would tell him the truth. Tell him what she thought and felt, holding almost nothing back. As always, he found himself listening to her and internalizing her words and advice.

This had been missing in his life. He _missed_ this woman and the intimacy of their extraordinary friendship. And while he would never regret their night together - or the angel they had created - he almost cursed that night. For his whole world had imploded after that night, something he hadn't dreamed possible. He had lost her and lost the most secure relationship he'd ever had, the only one he counted on besides what he had with Jason.

"From the truth," she responded without hesitation. "And that truth is that you're afraid. You are afraid of that monster lurking in the darkness. You don't seem to understand - or see - that you are slowly becoming him. With every dark deal you make, every shot that's fired in your name or for you, you are becoming that thing you fear the most. The abuse you deal out is different, but it is _**still**_ abuse. Emotional abuse is oftentimes more damaging than physical abuse because it _is_ a silent killer."

"I will have justice for my son!" he snapped, anger pushing aside his concern for her. Her words enraged him more than he could speak. For she was telling him without saying it, by using a round about kind of psychobabble, to let it go, to just forget what had happened to Michael.

"Killing someone is _**not**_ justice, Sonny, and you know it even if you hate to admit it. It is murder and when does it end? This kind of thinking is what caused the situation in the first place," she informed him, almost autocratically.

"Are you saying that this is my fault?" he demanded.

"You already admitted that it was," she softly reminded him. It was not something she had actually heard him say but she knew him well enough to know that he would admit his fault in this. "Do you even know why? Are you even willing to look that deeply into your own psyche to figure it out?"

"What are you talking about, Alexis?" he retreated behind a defensive wall, not wanting to hear anymore. This was something he couldn't take, he wasn't ready to deal with it. Why couldn't she just drop it? He'd already admitted fault, wasn't that enough?

"I'm talking about how your actions, your choices, have created this situation. I'm asking you to really think about where to go from here, instead of merely reacting to the situation. I want you to look further, to see the truth," she said, ignoring his attempts to shut her out. It had never worked in the past and it wouldn't work now. This was too important to all of their futures. Rapidly, she fired question after question at him, not letting him get a moment to breathe under her relentless attack.

And she wasn't stupid, she knew he would think of it as an attack. "When are you going to take a look at what you've done? Are you going to continue down this path of destruction and death? And when is that going to end for you, Sonny? When you've destroyed everyone and everything around you? When you find yourself completely alone, surrounded by only your bodyguards and your bullet proof glass? In a house with high walls and a panic room for safety? When you are swimming in a river of blood so deep and so treacherous, you can't breathe because it's choking and strangling you alive? When you have finally succeeded in driving everyone away who could possibly love you? Could possibly care for you?

"At this very moment, Michael is fighting for his life. Fighting to remain with all of you, even if he is in a permanent state of catatonia," her voice gentled out on the words. "But you - _**you**_ are in a fight of your own. The desperate fight to save your own soul. And it's a fight I don't think you want to win. No, that's not quite true. I think it's a fight you are scared to fight in because it means that you have to stop what you are comfortable with doing. You would have to stop testing everyone that you let in, Sonny, and that scares you. It scares you because no one could possibly live up to the impossible expectations you have for those around you. And no one can help you live up to the impossible standards you have set for yourself."

"I don't have much of a reason to fight," he softly told her, defeated. There was just too much painful truth in her words and he couldn't do it. He couldn't fight against the truth. Michael - one of the brightest lights in his life - was in that coma because of him. Because he liked what he did, he liked the thrill and the danger, the power that came with his position and what he did. As much as he denied it, he thrilled knowing that people feared him, that he was in the position of power. That no one would make him feel like that frightened, little boy again - but now, in this moment, he knew the truth. He had never really outgrown that boy in the closet, he'd never become stronger or better by following this path. He'd only built himself a fortress, fortified by his fears and his absolute, sheer loathing of being powerless. He'd never wanted to be powerless again. Yet, here he stood now, defenseless against the one enemy he couldn't fight alone - himself.

His shoulders slumped forward and he bent over double, staring up at her. He wished she'd pull him close, let him snuggle into her warmth, and take this burden from him, shoulder it and help him carry it the way she used to. There were no words he could use to fight against her, there never had been. While he was good with words, she was even better - growing even stronger once learning how his mind worked. Alexis learned to use words as weapons, as tools while he had only ever really learned to use his fists and his wits.

As much as he loved Kate, this was _**Alexis**_. The only woman in the world he could be truly vulnerable with. How could he have lost that? Let it slip away without even putting up much of a fight. They had chosen each other, but he expected her to do all the work to keep them together, like she always did. Yes, he pursued her - but it was not a full hearted pursuit. If he'd really gone after her, refused to accept her denials and attempts to convince him that she was fine, would they be in this situation now?

There was a painful feeling inside his soul that, even if they had just gone back to being friends, the answer was a firm no. She'd never have let him fall so far, so fast. Alexis was not that easy to beguile and misled. There was no way she'd have let him get away with the things he'd done over the years. Her refusal to allow him to spend time alone with Kristen as long as he was entrenched in the mob was a prime example of the courage and conviction she had to protect her loved ones. Loved ones - he was once so blessed to be in that admittedly small number.

How could he have screwed it up and lost his best friend?

"What about Michael? Morgan? Jason? Kristen? Molly? Luke? And this Kate, she must be someone very special to you for you to protect her the way you did. I remember you protecting me without hesitation. Carly may be furious with you, but she cares about you, deeply. She wouldn't be so angry with you if she did not. What of all of your friends? What of the honest employees you have who count on you to do the right thing? Those who trust you because they know you really care for them and you understand their situation?" she asked, kneeling in front of him and taking his hand.

"Sonny, there is good in you. But you are just too stubborn or stupid or afraid or something to take the chance on that. Life doesn't have to be about shots in the dark or the next rush of danger. That's what amusement parks were made to do, cheap thrills without the danger," she paused, more to catch her breath than anything else.

Her hand in his, it felt so familiar. It also felt far too warm and clammy to be good. "Lexis, are you all right?" Sonny asked, eyes focused on her with frightening intensity.

"You know me, I forget to breathe," she tried to shrug it off, knowing that he would leave it alone for now. She also knew that it was only a momentary reprieve. When he had a chance to think, to react - he would. "I know that I can't order you to do anything, though I really want to. But if you will take my advice - which I won't charge you for, I'd tell you to go home. Take a warm shower, make yourself a meal - or order it in, then go to bed. I don't care if you get someone to _**put**_ you to bed or not, just get some sleep. Right now, that is the best thing you can do for yourself - and for Michael. You cannot keep beating yourself over the head with this incident, it'll only drive you mad. Go home, Sonny. Sleep and," his hand on her cheek stopped her words.

"Will you still be here?" he asked, almost desperately.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him, removing his hand after a moment. Both hands felt warm and familiar within hers and she smiled, softly. "I am one of those people who does care for you, Sonny. It may not have been as apparent over the years because we don't really talk anymore, but it is still true. I still consider you one of my dearest and truest friends. And if anything ever happened to me, I would turn to you. I have turned to you already," she reminded him of the time when she asked if he'd be Molly's father.

"Alexis," he started, surprised by her words, by the very depth of truth and feeling in them. But, as usual, she would not let him finish. If there was one thing that was consistent about her, it was the fact that she would drop a line about her feelings and move on, not wanting to focus on it. She had almost as much fear about commitment as he did.

And for all her words about him testing his friends, she did the same thing. It was one of the reasons he accepted her scolding him, because she truly understood him in ways no one else ever would. They were like flip sides of a coin, minted out of the same mold and bonded together. No matter how they fought it, they remained together in ways and means that no one - not even they - could resist. It was, as much as he hated to admit it because it was something Kristina would say - karmic. How else could they have met and become so close?

"Go home and sleep, Sonny. Do not drink anything alcoholic, it doesn't help. And you are smart enough to know that while it deadens the pain, it comes back to you threefold in the morning. The pain is always far worse after a drunken binge. Michael would not want you to do this to yourself. He also would not want you to tear into Jason or Carly. Whether you like it or not, you have to bide your time and wait until she is ready to share this burden with you. Patience is a virtue you should learn now since it has eluded you in the past. Or at least pretend to learn for the sake of shutting me up," she impishly added, squeezing his hand. "So, will you go home and _attempt_ to sleep?"

Sonny nodded, sighing deeply, resigned to doing exactly as Alexis said. It would kill him but he'd do it.

"Max, who is that?" Kate asked, watching the way the two interacted. The woman looked familiar in a way that she knew she should be able to place but for the life of her, she could not. It was rather irksome to see this usurper come and, not only utterly dress Sonny down, but get him to agree with her plans. They'd been together for months - even contemplated marriage - but she couldn't always get him to do what she wanted him to. There was more than a little jealousy in her voice as she stared at them.

"That is Ms. Alexis Davis," Max said, voice soft with gratitude. Things had been rapidly escalating to the point where he was afraid that Jason and the boss would come to blows just to diffuse the tension that had been building steadily. The fact that they had avoided beating each other up this long was a testament to the strength of their friendship. If they had actually come to blows, Max wasn't sure how he could interfere without overstepping the bounds of his job.

Hearing her voice was like a miracle. For all the bad blood between her and the boss, he was incredibly glad to see her there - with both of her girls with her. He hadn't laid eyes on the woman in years but he remembered her with respect and more than a little affection. Tough as nails, sharp on the uptake, she was good for the boss. The only woman his boss actually respected and cared enough about to risk being disrespected by his men, they missed her influence upon him.

Plus, she had a great figure hidden under those boring business suits she constantly wore.

Although, he and the men knew weren't actually supposed to know about that. For some strange reason, she was embarrassed by her womanly figure. True, it wasn't as curvaceous as some women had or as supple, but she was attractive. They _still_ had the confiscated pictures of her as _Eddie's_ _Angel_ hidden around their quarters. "She was once the boss' best lawyer."

"And the mother of his firstborn child," Jerry softly said, entirely forgotten in his corner where he had watched the whole proceedings between Carly and Sonny with an almost cynical air of detached amusement, knowing that this conflict was expected. The two former spouses were combustible, highly volatile and destined to always meet and cross swords and words with each other.

They were inevitable and drawn to each other, would never be able to fully leave each other's orbit for long.

The fact that Jax hadn't seen it coming - or wouldn't see it coming - had him almost pitying his brother. Yet, he couldn't for Jax had strength enough to see this through even if he was shattered from the encounter. Shatter he might but he would rise above it all, that was the strength in Jax that Jerry had always envied and craved. He'd often studied his brother and wondered how Jax had developed it.

Still, the explosive confrontation between Sonny and Carly - with the intermittent (and highly futile, though doubly amusing) interruptions from Jax, Jason, and Kate, were highly entertaining.

Amusement had fled when he heard the sensually soft, very aristocratic - and way to familiar - voice of the woman whose actions following her arrival showed that she truly held the very heart of Sonny Corinthos in her hands - and not quite in a romantic way. Though it may appear that way to some, there was a deeper truth to their unique bond and he could see it for he'd seen it once before.

It was deeper than a mere romantic connection and it was far truer because it was based in actual trust and hard won feelings for each other. What they had would have been recognized by the ancient Irish very easily for they were soul friends - _anmhara_. People searched their whole lives for someone to trust and share the deepest parts of themselves with, a truer confidant than a spouse - and these two had found it.

Found it and let it go, though it was obvious that they saw the reason for it as the best recourse of action for the safety of their daughter. Well, Alexis did - Sonny didn't seem the kind to let go so easily. But he'd chosen the wrong woman to try to manhandle into seeing things his way. That woman had an iron spine and the strength of character to match.

Oh, yes. He _**certainly**_ remembered the gorgeous, leggy brunette.

Alexis Davis, his brother's former wife, was still one of the finest looking women he'd ever seen. Certainly, she was one of the most intelligent he'd come across, often challenging him with her verbal asides. When they had first met, he'd been _very_ intrigued by her, especially by the way that Jax treated her. The two had been more like friends than lovers - and he could tell the difference having watched his brother with the women in his life. Yes, there was playful affection and some sexual attraction between them, but he was pretty sure that it went unspoken.

It wasn't that blatant kind or in your face attraction as what Jax had with Carly. Still, there was something between them. A powerful kind of something that had nothing to do with their marriage. It had really shown up after their forced landing in the Sahara. She'd really caught his attention then because she'd been so casual about the whole near death thing, even joking about it. So, being the protective kind of brother he was, he looked into her and was blown away by what he found.

Alexis was certainly a far cry above many of the women he'd associated with in the past, Bobbie Spencer being the main exception. Bobbie - but that was a name and a face far too painful for him to think about right now. He still had yet to run into her and, if he played his cards right, wouldn't for a long time. She had taught him to love, what love was really like - and he had repaid her with betrayal. Though it hadn't entirely been his fault, he had owed her better than what he'd given her. No, it was best not to think of his former flame. Better to concentrate on the woman kneeling before them, a semi-Madonna in her own right. There was grace and seductive power in her, leashed - and almost as tantalizing as her classic beauty. It pulled at him on the most basic and primal of levels.

He wondered again why his brother had let her go.

To all appearances, their marriage was successful and happy. It intrigued him, this mysterious divorce between them, almost as much as their sudden marriage had. Jax, after all, was not the impulsive kind when it came to relationships - neither was Alexis. They were both rather prosaically traditional. And their divorce was not nasty for the two got along, beautifully. It was very clear in the way she felt free to berate him, to drag him over the coals as she had.

If he had to choose a woman he thought suited Jax, it would be Alexis. Alexis, not Carly, though he had no real complaints with his brother's wife. No complaints except that she could be quick to judge and could be rather shrewish, never saw that what Jax had done - was doing - for him was similar to what she constantly did for Sonny and Jason. She also clung to those men far too much for his tastes and then had the audacity to tear into Jax for his simple friendship with Alexis. Or his tentative partnership with Kate, both attacks unfair and unprovoked, they spoke more of a feeling of intense jealousy when there was no need.

Jax was completely and totally in love with her, rather besotted with his feelings in fact.

Yet, he also had to admit that she had her good points. Carly brought out a side of his brother Jerry hadn't seen in years. A mischievous side, one that was willing to take chances and try new things. Well, as long as they were fully legal and wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally. And she wasn't that hard on the eyes. She gave him a sense of family and belonging that Jax really longed for, wanted with all his strength. There was no holding back with her either. When she loved, she gave her all and Jax needed that kind of affection in his life.

"And the girls?" Kate's inquiry interrupted his thoughts and he listened in, curious about the second girl himself.

Max began to feel really queasy talking about this with her, even though it was no real secret. She could hear it from anyone, though in various degrees of truthfulness. It was only this thought that allowed him to speak to her, though the guilt remained. "The oldest girl is their daughter, Kristen. The younger is Molly, Miss. Davis asked if he would serve as her father since her real father is unavailable."

"Max, take me home," Sonny quietly said as he stood up, almost leaning upon Alexis as they moved forward. It was as if he didn't think he'd have the strength to go if she didn't help him.

Jerry watched as Max, Sonny, and Kate left, Sonny stopping to give Alexis a final, searching look. With cool, almost sadly affectionate eyes, she met his look evenly, nodding only once. Visibly strengthened, he left and she walked back to her daughters, kneeling back down. Jerry couldn't blame him for taking another look. The way she had appeared was miraculous, though he had the disturbing feeling that he wasn't the only one who thought of her appearance that way.

Still, it was true. Under her and Jason's influence, what had been so ugly, had quickly turned around. Between the two of them, Alexis and Jason may just find a way to salvage the whole fiasco. Though if he had been Sonny, he was pretty sure he'd have found a way to take her home with him.

The moment they were out of earshot, he heard horrible coughing and his eyes went straight to Alexis, noticing how her body shook under the force of the torrents. As she had returned to the floor, she was more supported than she would have been if she'd been standing. Still, there was danger in her position. Quickly moving forward, he managed to slide to his knees and grab hold of her before she smashed her head against the chairs.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Kristen asked, holding onto Molly tightly, both girls' faces were white with fright.

"I'm fine," she wheezed out the words, "Just a little winded."

"You are not fine," he corrected her, glancing up at the girls. Both of them had identical brown eyes that stared at him curiously, somewhat hostilely, making him feel like he was invading their space. It irked him, he was only trying to help their mother. And he wondered what they though of him, shaking it off quickly. He could care less what they thought of him. For the moment, that was. "What you are is in desperate need of medicinal aid."

She glared at him. But it was feeble compared to how she had stared down Sonny and Jax. And it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she realized it too. "It would be best if you didn't contradict me in front of my own daughters, sir."

"Oh, come now, Alexis. You can't honestly believe that your beautiful girls were fooled by your words. They are obviously intelligent and naturally observant. So, why would you want to lie to them about your condition?" he asked, still maintaining a firm hold on her. Albeit, one she was far too weak to fight against. For all of that, she was very stiff in his arms. He had to admire her ice cold calm.

"How dare you address me so casually?" she demanded, trying to focus on him more fully. It was difficult for her vision kept blurring and she couldn't quite see him clearly. Though there was something vaguely familiar about his voice, a nagging sense that she had heard it before, she would rather see his face to figure him out.

"Oh, darling, it hurts that you don't remember me when I clearly remember you," he paused, watching her. Then he looked up at both girls again, curious to see their reaction. They were still staring at him, though the little one - what had Max called her, Molly? - had a tiny smile on her face. It sparked a pleasant memory for him. Several years ago, he had seen a similar smile on Alexis' face when he'd done something she thought amusing but hadn't wanted him to know it.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, "I'm sure I would have remembered you had we ever met before. Your definite lack of manners is rather noteworthy."

Jerry smiled roguishly at her. "Is that anyway to thank me for saving your lovely face?"

"That's not an answer," she replied coolly, unimpressed.

His estimation of her went up several notches. She was _definitely_ a cool one. It made a refreshing change from his recent quick conquests. "It's such a shame you and Jax didn't see fit to invite the family to your wedding. It was rather sudden though, so I suppose it was rather understandable. Still, it was rather bad form."

"Wedding?" she repeated, starting to put the pieces together. Her head slightly shook, almost denying the name she knew she would hear.

"Jerry Jacks," he introduced himself, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Alexis. Though I don't blame you for not recognizing me immediately. For when we first became acquainted, I had a different face. I really wish that we had become reacquainted under more auspicious circumstances."

"Jerry Jacks," she disbelievingly repeated, openly shaking her head now. "Now, that's a name I haven't let myself think about in a long time, a long time - and for good reason."

"Why, darling, I'm hurt. I had thought that we'd become rather fond of one another."

She ignored his words, "Why the change?" The question was sharp as she tried to ignore her shaky limbs which didn't want to work.

"In face?" he asked, helping her to stand up. A slight frown marred his face as she leaned against him, obviously dizzy and struggling for breath still. Her body trembled - and not because of their proximity. There was something else working here, something he needed to know about. The Alexis he knew in the past would've protested being treated like a helpless female, stating that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Which she was, though it was obvious that she couldn't do so at the moment. Just what was wrong with her? And why did no one here seem to know about it, not even Jax? "I had a very bad accident, left me with little choice in the matter."

"Uh-huh," she repeated doubtfully, hating her weakness in front of him. She may have known him at one time but he was still a near stranger to her. Their meetings had been more sporadic than he was implying they had been and she only tolerated him because he was Jax's brother. Yes, she had found him highly amusing. Who wouldn't have been by him? Jerry Jacks could be a charming and intelligent companion when he put his mind to it. But that was as far as their relationship - for want of a better word - had extended.

Clearing her throat, she decided to try to regain some ground, even if she wasn't strong enough to stand on her own yet. She needed to regain control over the circumstances and herself - fast. "Well, I guess I should welcome you back to Port Charles but I doubt it would mean that much to you, seeing as how I'm not living here anymore."

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"My eldest daughter is Sonny Corinthos' kid. Isn't that reason enough to leave?" she asked, giving him a look that clearly said she didn't buy his faux ignorance of the danger inherent in her statement.

"It seems a pretty poor excuse to let a man drive you out of your home and away from you family," he mildly commented.

"Be that as it may, it was my choice and I do not regret making it. Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she asked, making an abortive attempt to move away. The very definite swimming before her eyes dissuaded her from trying again.

"Now, that you mention it," he said, smiling charmingly down at her. It was an effective way of disguising just how worried he was becoming about her - a feeling that surprised him. A highly unnerving emotion but there it was, so he accepted its presence as he did many of the things in his life. Besides, he was quickly finding himself intrigued by the mystery and possibility of Alexis Davis being in his life, even temporarily. "I will find a doctor to help you."

She, of course, ignored his charming manner. "No need to do that, Mr. Jacks," she started to say.

"Jerry," he interrupted, not surprised by her actions. He remembered that about her, she didn't care for what she saw as false charm or flattery. Which made her that much more attractive to him. He'd always loved the dance - and he knew from experience that Alexis did too. She had been surprisingly good at it, for a straight laced princess that was. "After all, you were married to my brother."

"Mr. Jacks," she repeated sternly, "I have my inhaler. It'll help."

"You almost passed out," he argued, seeing a movement to his left. Automatically, he turned to see what it was.

Kristen was searching through the small bag in her backpack, pulling something out, "Here, mommy."

"I was a little breathless," she said, accepting it from Kristen. After taking a few puffs, she sighed in relief, feeling the slight loosening of the tension in her lungs. She only wished it worked faster, her position was embarrassing and totally unnerving. "Thank you, sweetie. I'll be fine in a moment. Thank you for your help, Mr. Jacks, even though it was not really necessary."

"Do you always have to be so stubborn about the true status of your health? If I had a mirror, I could show you the lovely shade of gray your face has become. Why are you being so difficult?"

"If you remembered me at all, Mr. Jacks, you would know that this is me being myself. I have not yet _begun_ to be difficult," she retorted, slowly inhaling and exhaling. Her head spun and she tilted it back, letting it rest momentarily against his shoulder. The action made her uncomfortably aware once more of his proximity to her. Unlike the other times she used the inhaler, the situation did not improve. Sighing in resignation, she knew she couldn't deny the true state of her health any longer. "Though it kills me to admit it, you are right. I'm not well at all. Kristen, honey, would you call Janet and find out if she sent my records to Dr. Trent?"

Jerry knew that name, "The cancer specialist?" The question came, more out of shock than anything else.

Alexis looked at him full on then, a full on deer in the headlights look in her eyes. "How did you know that?"

"You have some form of cancer?" he asked instead of replying, though it was obvious from her look what the answer would be. Still, he was somewhat surprised to hear her give vocal confirmation to her look.

"Had," she irritably told him, shaking off her feelings with some effort. It was none of his business, so there was no reason to be defensive about it.

"Does Jax know?" he was truly shocked by the news. While he and Jax had not had any real in depth conversations over the past few months since he'd reappeared in his life, he thought for sure his brother would have at least mentioned it to him. The woman had been a causal friend, besides being his former sister-in-law. While they rarely saw eye to eye on many things, family loyalty was the one thing neither brother had trouble with. Alexis had been family to him. As such, he was concerned about her.

"I'm going through chemo to kill any cancerous cells that might be left in my body. Not that it's really any concern of yours," she added, ignoring his question.

"That's where you're wrong, darling," he quietly refuted.

Carly joined them and noticed the way they were standing, a slight frown on her face. The two of them looked far to cozy for her comfort. "Where's Jax?" she asked, not wanting to start another fight right then. Besides, what was she going to say that wouldn't implicate her husband in a cover up conspiracy to prevent his homicidal maniac of a brother from going to jail?

"He's talking to Michael," Jerry said, reading her look all to well. It was the only thing that stopped him from asking her to stay with Alexis while he went to find a doctor or a nurse - one who was _not_ Ian Devlin. The last thing he needed was for that cheap, opportunistic thug getting his hands on Alexis. He trusted Jax to keep Carly and the boys safe from him - as far as Jax could that was. And what Jax wasn't able to do, Sonny and Jason wouldn't mind doing. Their illegal activities and behaviors may have made everything that much more difficult for Morgan and Michael - even for the Davis girls – to live normal lives, but they had their uses.

Alexis, with her daughter by Sonny Corinthos, was in danger from that opportunistic thug as well.

And he wasn't sure that Sonny would be able to protect her from Devlin. The man didn't listen to a word he had to say about anything going on. He constantly ignored his advice about how to deal with the Zaccharas or his warnings about Trevor Lansing. Unfortunately, he thought that they were just like the others who had tried to destroy him and been eradicated instead. But these people weren't cheap opportunists, they were far worse and had much deeper connections than anyone Sonny had ever tangled with.

While Alexis refused to accept him as family, he really was becoming quite fond of her. He _would_ protect her from this threat, whether she wanted it or not.

"How did you get him to do that?" she asked, suspicious of this change in Jax's behavior.

"Ask Alexis," he said.

"That's Ms. Davis to you, Mr. Jacks," she corrected him sharply.

"Darling, we're family," he protested, hearing soft laughter from Molly and Kristen. It was obvious that, while their mother was being stubborn, both girls had decided to like him. At least, they were amused by him, which wasn't such a bad thing. Not that he would use them to get to Alexis, in his opinion, only a weak man would use a woman's children to gain her attention - or to hurt her. "I see no reason to stand on formality with each other."

"Correction, we _were_ family, back when Jax and I were married. We no longer are. Therefore, I see no reason to pretend otherwise," she sharply told him, turning to Carly. "I merely suggested that Jax live up to the vows he made to you and the promise he made to Michael and Morgan on that day. And you should be home, resting."

Carly had a feeling that it was far more complex than she said but let it slide. Looking around for Jason's comforting presence, she noticed the way he was watching Jerry and Alexis. Like her, he was deeply suspicious of the way Jerry was acting towards the lawyer and, while she really wasn't a big fan of hers, she honestly didn't want to see her get hurt. While Jerry seemed to be concerned about her right now, it wouldn't last. The man would hurt her, deeply and horribly.

It was just the way he was.

"I will, I just want to say good-night and make sure that he's all right." She didn't need to say anything else, knowing that Alexis understood. Weird as it was, she felt that the two of them had bonded over their children. Feeling that she was leaving the lawyer in good hands, she joined Jax in the room, sitting down with a sigh.

Jerry saw Jason watching them and debated for a moment. There was danger in leaving Alexis alone in the other man's hands - lest of which was him telling her of Jerry's recent actions and their subsequent consequences. But there really was no other choice. Even though she was breathing far easier, her coloring was no better - and she was still far too shaky. "Morgan, I'm going to find a doctor to see to Alexis."

"Really, you don't have to do that," she protested, even as she allowed him to guide towards the benches. "I'm doing better now."

"Would you just sit down and relax before you pass out and scare your daughters?" his question sounded more like a demand than he was comfortable with but if it got her to sit, he would be the last to complain.

"Mr. Jacks has a peculiar sense of humor, doesn't he, girls? That won't happen," she reassured them, sitting down.

"I hate to remind you, darling," he started to say.

"No, you don't," she interrupted him, her look far to knowing for his comfort.

"But it almost did. If I hadn't caught you, you would have fallen face first into the chairs. Now, be a good girl and remain quiet," he said, walking away from them, giving them one final look.

Jason stared at her, noticing when her eyes closed. Still, he couldn't let the silence between them remain, not when he had something he had to say, "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked, opening her eyes and looking over at him.

"Coming when you didn't really want to," he shrugged. "Was he telling the truth?"

Alexis sighed, "He's slightly overreacting about what happened but…yes. I had a very bad coughing fit earlier. It was very difficult for me to catch my breath, therefore I lost control over my balance and nearly had an unpleasant meeting with the chairs."

"What's wrong?" he sat down beside her as he asked, studying her face. There were lines of stress that he hadn't noticed on her face before, though he supposed it could be fatigue. Yet, he thought she looked more pale than a healthy person should, which could only be indicative of a far worse health problem than mere breathing troubles.

"Are you going to run to Sonny if I tell you?" she asked, forcing herself to remain still under the scrutiny. It was difficult but she was getting used to the invasion of her privacy. Not only had cancer completely destroyed her ability to hold people at a firm distance, but having several psychiatric sessions with Dr. Lewis had helped her move past much of the trauma going through this ordeal had caused. It was through his firm friendship and support that she'd learned to accept her past and move on.

Not that she didn't still have rough days - Dr. Lewis told her they would always be there, but she was dealing with them as they happened. She wasn't running from the past anymore. Now that she had a reason to fight, she couldn't afford to run any longer. The last thing she wanted to do was pass along her emotional baggage to her girls and she would if she didn't face her past and move beyond it. Through their sessions - which she still faithfully kept, he helped her in ways that she hadn't thought possible and she was stronger for it.

"If I think he needs to know immediately," Jason said, deciding there was no point in hiding the truth from her. She had come when he called and asked her to. He wasn't about to betray her by lying about what he'd do. Even if it wasn't actually a betrayal of trust because this _was_ Alexis. She knew what he'd do. For Jason, even with his deep and lasting friendship to Carly, his first loyalty had been and always would be Sonny, no matter the consequences to those around him. And he didn't fool himself, there were severe consequences because he had tied himself to this man who'd given him a second chance and always forgave him.

"That's what I thought - and why I won't tell you anything. And don't try to find anything out, my records are sealed," she warned him. "Carly needs you here, not in jail for tampering with the files of a governmental agent."

"So, there is a reason for concern," he smirked, surprised that he got that much out of her. Usually, she was far better at deflecting attention. Far better - even when she'd been disturbed by her wedding, she never let on that anything was wrong. At least, not to any of them. She only told Sonny because, well, because he cared enough to push her, to listen to her. He had to hide the fear he felt though because it was to _Jerry Jacks_ that she had turned to for support and help, though he knew it was irrational. As far as she knew, she'd been left here alone with her daughters.

Jerry hid well in plain sight. It was disconcerting and unnerving and he feared this ability the other man had - when he allowed himself to think about it at all. It made it nearly impossible to catch him doing anything.

"Not anymore," she shrugged, pushing her hair out of her face. "As long as my records get here so that I'm cared for in any emergency while I'm here - and I don't slide on taking my medication and routine to much - I'll be fine."

"Do you need any help?"

Breathing deeply, she held in for a second before letting it out slowly, feeling her irritation going with it. Over the years, she was learning that to rely on others was not a weakness. It was still hard to accept help when she knew that she could take care of herself. "Jason, I appreciate the concern, really, I do. But I'm fine. I'm following the regimen established by my personal physician and taking care of myself because my girls need me - and I need my girls. So, thank you for the offer, but I don't need your help."

Jerry had watched them for a few seconds and then left, content that Jason would say nothing to Alexis about him or what he'd done. Without her even knowing it, she had played the part of a vulnerable woman who couldn't handle too much shocking news perfectly. No one would risk upsetting her, not even Carly would try. She wouldn't want to risk sending Jax to jail for aiding and abetting him.

Jax…Now, Jax may be a problem because he'd want to be completely honest with her. Highly understandable in the face of their prior relationship - and their very deep friendship, even if it would lead to many problems that he just didn't want to face. Jerry knew his brother would take notice if he started to hang around Alexis. Still, he'd risk it to protect Alexis and her girls. There was just something about her that pulled at him, tugged him away from his chosen path. May be it was the potential for another life she presented for him.

Sonny would be problematic as well. And, of the two, Sonny was the real obstacle for him to overcome. The man was ingrained in Alexis' blood and that wasn't something easy to erase or drive out. Jerry wouldn't even try, he understood all to well what it was like to have someone in the blood.

Perhaps he could just tell her the truth about who and what he was. If she heard it from him, she might be less inclined to lynch him and be able to see things from his vantage point. After all, she was a compassionate woman with an open mind. If he was honest with her, she might be more inclined to accept his help. She was intelligent and would understand the danger to her girls, danger he was able and willing to protect her from.

And if he told her, it would really irk everyone around who'd want to warn her themselves. She was highly loyal, capable of making decisions on her own - and if pressed against a wall, would fight against anyone and everyone who tried to tell her what was best. It was something to think about.

Hearing soft steps behind him, he turned and saw the littlest Davis girl following him. Kneeling down, he waited for her, "Don't you think your mommy will be worried about you?"

She nodded but continued towards him.

Feeling distinctly uneasy, he waited until she stopped in front of him, arms upraised. "You want me to carry you?" he asked, disbelief on his face. "I've never carried a child before, not even Jax." Still, he couldn't exactly leave her out here. Well, he could but that would defeat the purpose of protecting Alexis. And winning her trust. His thoughts felt wrong to him, like he was going to be using this girl to gain Alexis' affections. That was not something he wished. If she was going to care about him, he wanted her to be sure that he liked her and was going after her _through_ her alone, not through her daughters.

With a resigned sigh, he picked her up and started off towards the nurse station, running into Robin Scorpio and her ever present defender and beau, Dr. Patrick Drake. "Ah, glad I caught you. Are either of you on duty?" he asked, though he could tell from her look that she was not pleased to see him. Not pleased at all. Oh, well, that was her problem - not his.

"I am," Patrick said, his arm sliding around Robin, comfortingly. "Why?"

"Mommy's hurting," Molly said, her voice stuttering out the words, still unused to talking. It wasn't something she ever had to do around Mommy and Kristen, they always knew what she wanted.

"And where is your mommy?" Robin asked, her voice soft and gentle. Highly welcoming towards the beautiful little girl. She did wonder about the child's definite trusting of Jerry. Surely the girl could feel his amoral malice - which was a strange contradiction, she knew. But that was Jerry Jacks. Though to be fair, children weren't always the best judges of character.

Her hand pointed in the direction they had come from. Robin and Patrick exchanged confused glances. The only woman they knew for sure who was down there - who had a connection with Jerry Jacks that was - was Carly. And she didn't have a daughter.

As they walked along, Jerry decided to take pity on them. If only for Alexis' sake. They might be able to help her better if they weren't shocked to see her in Port Charles. "Shall I introduce you?" he asked, waiting for the girl to nod her head, a slightly haughty look on her face as she stared at him. It was clear that she was enjoying the role of joking accomplice a bit too much. "Dr. Scorpio, Dr. Drake, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Molly Davis, the daughter of Alexis Davis. Miss. Molly, I'd like you to meet Dr. Robin Scorpio and Dr. Patrick Drake."

"Alexis is here?" Robin's voice was hopeful.

Patrick looked between them, "I'm not following you. Who is Ms. Davis?" The woman must be someone important as Robin had quickened her pace slightly. He didn't think he'd ever seen her do that when it wasn't an emergency.

"She was one of the only people who could talk sense into Sonny," Robin rapidly explained. "When she was his lawyer, she made him think and process every decision placed before him. From what I've heard, he rarely did anything without her advice. If it weren't for her, I think he'd be far worse off."

"If she was so good for him, what happened?"

"I got pregnant with his child and decided to leave," Alexis coolly informed him. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's bad form to gossip about someone?"

"Sorry," Robin quickly apologized. "It's just that Dr. Drake's new here."

"New or not, it's still rude. Wait, did you say Dr. Drake? As in Noah Drake's only son?" she asked. "I think I feel rather sorry for you, having to try to live up to - or live down - his reputation. Molly, you know you're not supposed to wander off - especially when you're in a new place," she was quick to turn the attention towards her youngest daughter.

She reached out to her, lip jutting out slightly.

"No, Molly, that's not going to work. You know the rules. Put the lip away and go sit next to your sister. I'll deal with you later, young lady," she said, voice stern. As Molly toddled by, she laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you're safe, sweetie."

Molly nodded, climbing up, face slightly lighter than it was before.

Turning to face them, she nodded, "Thank you for taking care of her, Mr. Jacks."

"Jerry," he reminded her.

"Why do you keep doing that? You know I'm not going to relent," she said, exasperated with him.

He smiled, moving to sit down in the other side of the girls, "I can always hope, darling."

"So, Mr. Jacks says you need help," Patrick said, observing her as a way of covering his shock. He wasn't sure that he'd ever heard anyone talk like that to the infamous Jerry Jacks. They were either too enraged by his presence here in town to try. Or beguiled by his accent and continental charm to really listen to his words and get a feel for the kind of man he really was. She provided a welcome distraction from his thoughts. And, luckily enough, she really did look ill.

"Yes. But could we do this somewhere else? I'd rather not have my entire medical history talked about out here," she waved one hand around, head tilted to the side.

"Of course," he looked sheepish, "This way."

"Robin, I hate to ask this of you, but could you watch Molly and Kristen? That way Mr. Jacks can go about any business he has and Jason can take Carly home," she explained, slowly rising to her feet. Jason helped her walk over to Patrick when he saw her stumble a few times.

"Sure," she paused, then blinked in shock as her words registered, "Carly's going home?"

"Ah, yes, the lovely Ms. Davis convinced her that it would be the best course of action."

"How did you do that?" she asked, uncomfortable with the obvious way Jerry acted towards the woman. It was downright disconcerting to see how he could turn on the charm so effortlessly while underneath they all knew what kind of man he really was. But she studied Alexis, noting that while she was flattered, the woman did not relax an iota. She seemed more irritated than any thing else.

"All I did was point out that it wouldn't do Michael any good if she became a patient herself," she said, glaring at him. "Would you kindly _stop_ saying things like that about me, Mr. Jacks? They are superfluous."

"There you go again, trying to force your opinion about something on others," he shook his head. "I find my words necessary, why can't you just admit that you did a minor miracle here?"

"Because I didn't – you're just making too much of it," she repressively said, a hoarse cough cutting off her words.

"All right, let's go to an exam room," Patrick semi-ordered, guiding her along. They walked into one of the rooms not far away and she sat down. Closing the door, he looked at her, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm not sure there's anything you can do," she replied, looking out the window and watching her girls. "I had lung cancer. It was stage-two adenocarcinoma. They told me that it's a non-small-cell-type lung cancer, which I'm sure you already knew, being a doctor. They operated and I've been in chemo for about six months, give or take a few sessions. The problem is that chemo is not exactly easy for one to bounce back from. One day I'll be perfectly alright and then it'll hit me hard, making me weak and in need of a lot of rest. As they had to remove a slightly larger chunk from my left lung then they thought they would, I've had an even harder time catching my breath. I just overdid it out there, trying to deal with the whole situation and had a major coughing fit. But I think there's something else wrong, I just don't feel quite right."

"Uh, Ms. Davis, now would be a good time to breath," he said, shaking his head. It was easy to see how she had ended up nearly fainting if that was how she often spoke. And he got the feeling from the way she looked at him that it was an all too common occurrence.

"Right," she apologized. While waiting for him, she breathed in and out, still feeling dizzy. After a while, she began to feel a little nervous. She had only just met the man and it was kind of strange being alone with him. Dr. Trent would be a stranger as well, but she had talked to him several times about her case and he'd visited her in the hospital as she was recuperating from both the surgery and her first two chemo sessions. It was one of the reasons she felt comfortable coming back to Port Charles though she still needed treatment.

She asked, "Would you like Dr. Scorpio to come in here? It looks like Mr. Jacks and Jason are well able to take care of my children? Or Bobbie Spencer? She still works here, right?"

"What?" he asked, startled out of his thoughts. "No, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting this to be the problem nor was I expecting you to be so calm about it."

"I've had this condition for almost six months. That's plenty of time to learn to deal with it," she dryly said.

He chuckled, "I guess it would be. So, what are your symptoms?"

As they talked, he made some notations before nodding. "All right. This may be embarrassing to you in light of your condition but you only have a case of dehydration. So, I'll get one of our nurses to set you up on a drip to get some needed moisture into your body. Is there anyone I can call to watch your girls?"

"Why? The last time I had to be hooked up to an IV, I was only in for an hour or so," she said, confused.

"Yes, but that was with your primary doctor there," he pointed out. "Since you are staying in Port Charles, you'll be under our observation and will need to fill out forms so that we'll know how to handle your case. And I would like to keep you in observation over night, just to make sure that everything is all right with you. I don't want you to leave only to have you admitted later with some more serious condition that I overlooked."

Sighing, she rolled her eyes, "You guys worry too much about something that isn't going to happen. I was careless with my schedule. Still, I can see your point. Very well, could you call Nikolas and ask him to take the girls home with him? They've only rarely seen him and have been asking questions about Wyndemere ever since they heard its name. I'll make other arrangements in the morning. If he can't, call my sister Kristina. She's only about three hours away and would love to spend time with them."

Patrick nodded, "I'll send Dr. Scorpio in so that she can help you change. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Let me stay with my girls until Nikolas shows up?" she asked, wondering if he would. Some of the doctors she met - especially the newly trained ones - were all about the rules and following them. "I'd feel much better if they were with me instead of with near strangers they just met."

"Sure," he smiled and left the room. "Miss Molly, Miss Kristen, your mommy wants to see you." His last words fell into the empty air as the girls had already gone into the room. Through the window he could clearly see them trying to climb onto the examination table. He shook his head when he saw her get off to help them up. At least, he thought, she had the sense to return to her sitting position.

"How is Ms. Davis?"

"She'll be all right once she gets some liquid into her body," he didn't even want to say that much. Unfortunately, it wasn't just Jerry who was waiting for news.

"May I see her?" Jason asked, before Jerry could.

"I guess it would be all right, just don't tire her out," he warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, rising to his feet. Stopping only to pick up their bags, he entered the room and closed the door behind him. "How are you?"

"Dehydrated," she shrugged. "I should've paid more attention to how much I was drinking. But with all that was going on, I was too nervous to keep anything down. Don't blame yourself for this, Jason, it isn't your fault."

"I called you," he pointed out.

"I chose to come," she replied. "Look, we may not see eye to eye on everything but there is one thing we do - that family is important to us. Michael needs his family with him, which includes his sisters. I would never deny him that support for any reason. Your calling me just sped up the timetable of my learning what happened here. Stop worrying about what happened to me, you did the right thing in calling. Now, take Carly and go home. If you can, get Bobbie to stay with her. Carly needs her mother now more than ever."

"Thanks, Alexis," he paused after placing the bags in the room. "Alexis? There's something you should know about Jerry."

"He's James Craig," she flatly said.

"How did you know that?"

"I work in the military, there isn't much we don't know about terrorists and supposed terrorists," she matter-of-factly informed him. "Even if we get it wrong - which is only natural because we are human and capable of making mistakes - we still know a lot more than people think we do. Keep that in mind before you say anything else about him. I know who he really is and it isn't who you think. Tread carefully around him, Jason."

Jason looked at her, asking with his eyes for an elaboration.

"I'm not saying anything else, Jason. Just be careful, now is not the time for you to get in trouble with the law," she warned him. "There's a lot more at stake here than you think there is. A whole lot more," she ominously added.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Thanks to both Sienna Blakely and TaylorChesney. Sorry for the delay both characters and real life got away from me and I had to wrestle them back into submission.  
_Author's Note: Thanks for the feedback. It really means a lot to me, especially since I wasn't really expecting any for this story. It isn't exactly a normal type of GH story, if you know what I mean. And I'm sure that you do. _lol  
_Let's see, in order for this story to work, I have to mention that there was no Text Message Killer, so all of those killed by the TMK are alive – except Emily (killed by Anthony Zacchara on the night of the Black and White Ball). Luis Alcazar was _**not**_ killed by Alexis or Brenda or Skye. He went out violently – at the hands of Manny Ruiz. Lorenzo came to town to take over the business but never got involved with Carly, though he did get involved with Skye – kinda like in the show. Thus, there is a baby Lila.  
Anthony Zacchara is being helped by Ric – as in the show (no one knows just yet). He is _**not**_ the DA. His dealings with Zacchara got him kicked out. Mainly because of politics – and neither is Scott Baldwin. Sorry, I don't think that the smarmy guy should be rewarded with such a position of power after what he did to Laura, framing her for the death of Rick Webber – or letting her think she did it, whichever is the correct version of the story. _rolls eyes at what passes for TV executives idea of common sense _So, the DA is someone that is not known on the show – although, part of me is tempted to have it be Mason Capwell just for the fun of it.  
Dr. Lewis _**is**_ the character created on the show. He did go to Port Charles upon hearing from Alexis about his son, Zander. They were able to reconnect – kinda – and he followed his dad back to Colorado where they are trying to become a family. BTW, Zander shares partial custody of his son with Elizabeth.  
Obviously, because Alexis moved after discovering she was pregnant, Faith Roscoe did not kidnap Kristin – but she did take Sonny's other kids (Morgan, Michael, and Adela), even though she knew of her. Sam's baby was been born early (and, no, Alexis did not bring it about) but was healthy. Though premature, they decided to take the risk of the operation if she proved to be a match. Luckily, she was and the bone marrow transplant (the one that Kristin needed) was successful. This was the one and only time that Kristen had ever been to P C. She's not been back until now. While they were in PC, Sonny and Alexis did _not_ spend anytime together. And she called to talk to him about Molly.  
Upon meeting Alexis, Sam felt some kind of connection to her and did some digging – but she does not know that they are related. She doesn't have full access to Spinelli now that she and Jason have parted company – rather amicably. Because of a nasty plot twist in my head regarding Sam's father, Sam is _**not**_ dating Lucky – which is a shame because I like them together. But I don't think anyone can really control their muses.  
Yes, Alexis' comment to Jason about Jerry Jacks/ James Craig is important. I am not a Jerry/Craig apologist but I think that  
using his past – the money laundering scandal that chased him out of Port Charles in the first place – is important to the position he is in now. A charge like that does not go away without a good reason. His actions before arriving in PC have a connection with the SGC. This is another thing that I may get into sooner or later (probably sooner than later).  
Tracy and Luke are _**not**_ married in my world. I sorta got into the pairing – until they brought Laura back from her comatose state. (Stupid move putting her back in that state.) Seeing Luke and Laura together again, the love that just _is_ between the two of them – no matter what he's done or the time that separates them – just called to the romantic in me. I couldn't put  
him back with Tracy after being reminded of that passion and love again. I don't know, his comment about not having a soul- may be that wasn't the word. But whatever the word was, without her, he didn't have it. That without her, it was like stumbling around in the dark and now that she was back, it was like waking up (Nov 3, 2006 episode). How could I possibly write _affectively and genuinely_ him with anyone else? He comes truly alive with her and is more with her. _snicker_ I honestly think they are trying to recreate Luke and Laura's romance in all of their new super couples – and it just isn't working out for them (at least in the sense of a long run fascination) at all. Because – for whatever reason – Luke and Laura where genuine lightening in the bottle. They have come close with other couples but have never been able to recapture what L and L had – still have.  
There is a bit of Diane and Max, just because they add some lightness to the story but they won't be in here much b/c I don't really have a handle on Diane's character. Georgie and Spinelli go to classes together and have become friends. There is nothing more to their relationship than that at the moment. No Lulu/Spin lusting though, he got over her when he and Georgie became better friends. Maxie is slowly warming up to the oddball her sister hangs out with, is nice to him for Georgie's sake. Much to her surprise, she's finding out that she genuinely likes him for his own sake, though he still mystifies her. She's not as adverse to spending time with him and accepting his help as she used to be.  
Jax asked Alexis to be his best person at their wedding. This was the only other time she'd been in PC since Kristen's medical emergency. Molly and Kristen did not come with her, they stayed with Janet. While she visited with Nikolas briefly, she did not met James Brosnan (Craig) at that time. Stefan didn't come back and have his psychotic break with reality (or whatever made him act ooc), so - no further breach of trust between Alexis and Stefan. They came back together truly after Helena had them locked together and forgave each other for past offenses. He left and never came back.  
I will attempt to explain who Olivia is because I think it's a lousy thing to throw out and then leave it with no answer. Alexis has only met Ric once and was not impressed. Sonny went from Alexis straight to Diane, though he occasionally used Justice as his lawyer. Kate and Trevor were married for a time.  
Disclaimer: I do not own GH or STARGATE-SG 1. They are owned respectively by ABC and MGM. All I own is the idea. I cannot believe that I forgot to write this disclaimer in Chapter One – so it has been added there as well, just to be on the safe side.

654321

Sonny followed Max and Kate inside, feeling chilled by the dark and almost accusing feel of the place. For the first time, the darkness of the design and décor did nothing to enhance his feelings of power and safety. Instead, it reiterated his feelings of utter loss and powerlessness. He stumbled into his den, falling onto the couch, defeated for perhaps the first time in his life.

Kate stood just beyond his peripheral sight, obviously unsure of her place and what she was supposed to do. Max left to secure the rest of the home, quite sure that something had happened in the time that they were gone. For all he knew, Max could be right about that. Sonny dully recognized the fact that he had many enemies who would not rest just because his son had been shot.

In fact, they were probably counting on his distracted state of mind to attack him, hoping that he'd be more vulnerable to them than would otherwise be the case. They would give him no time to grieve, to recuperate. At one time, such a thing would have been the norm for the mob. It went unspoken that personal tragedy was to be honored with a cease fire.

Obviously, that had changed.

Their unwritten and untouchable code was being ignored. It may have been mocked by Alexis and others, but it was a very vital and important part of their lives. Of all the things he remembered being pounded into his head during his early years in the mob, that was the one thing that had always stayed with him. While he'd sacrificed many other tenants, that was not one of them. It was his own kind of ethical code, a pattern for him to live and work by. It was one of the few rules that had made sense to him and he knew that he was not the only one to feel that way. Even Alcazar, scum that he could be, honored that code.

If the code had been observed, no shots would have been fired upon seeing Michael with him. They did _not_ take potshots at children, such an act would be the mark of a coward and a fool. A child could not protect themselves from an unseen enemy like an adult could. Which, his rational mind said, could be an indication that this was not an attack from an enemy.

It was not something he wanted to think about, that this could have really been a horrific accident.

So, he dismissed the feelings and tried to focus on other things. Even with all of this tension from within and outside of him, he was not as aware of these threats as he should have been. Before his eyes, all he could see the broken and helpless body of Michael, a pool of red blood around him. Inside his mind, he could hear Carly's screams and flat out accusations about him, about his life style. His mind circled endlessly about and found no real answer to any of his dilemmas.

Alexis' words – and challenge – to him would not subside. So, he wondered about what she'd said to him.

For the first time in his life, he fully contemplated the idea. In the past, he'd given lip service thought to it, but his thoughts now were different. He honestly wondered if it _was_ possible to leave the business behind him. Just clear out and leave it all behind him. Could he just retire, walk away from it all, and know that his children – all of them - would be safe from his enemies because he was no longer a player – major or otherwise?

There was really no reason for him to stay when he knew that the business was in good hands. He'd worked hard enough over the years to assure that his name and all that he'd done in that world would survive without him. And his legitimate businesses pulled in enough income for him to be happily content with his life. There would be no shortage of the things he'd grown accustomed to having over the years, not that he really cared all that much for the luxuries. They were a plus to him but they were not necessary for his life to be happy.

Diane could make just about anything happen given the correct information and enough time to work on it. It was one of the reasons he kept her around. Like Alexis had been, she cut through the legal tape and made things run smoothly for him. Unlike Alexis though, she rarely offered him several choices in an effort to simplify his life. And she didn't allow him to blur the lines between their professional and personal lives.

He would never find her confiding in him her troubles or thoughts.

The woman was totally and completely self-sufficient, a new experience for him. It was irksome but handy because he knew he could count on her to devote all of her attention and energy on him and his troubles. She would also be there to help his successor, if he could find the right person to hand the business over to.

Hell, if he thought she'd take it, he'd offer _**her**_ the business. She was certainly tough enough – and competent, not to mention competitive, enough – to handle it.

But that wouldn't be a real solution. He needed someone that his men knew and had experience working with. A person that they trusted and believed would do right by them. That was Jason. Even though Jason had been slipping away from the business lately, he knew that – if asked – he would return and help him out. The business was all he knew and he'd never think of refusing Sonny's request. It just wasn't Jason's way.

Which, Alexis would not hesitate to point out, proved just how selfish and self-indulgent he truly was.

Yet, he didn't think it was selfish at all. It was what they did for each other. He had always watched Jason's back, something that had been established from the first moment they had met. They came through for each other, time and time again, always at each other's backs. Jason was the one person he trusted completely to help him no matter what the circumstances were. To take care of any troublesome situation that arose in their lives, they always turned to each other and somehow, they made things work out for the best. That was why they had lasted as long as they had as confidants and partners.

He could _trust_ Jason no matter what. While they had had a few tussles ever since Jason's memory had returned, they always came back to each other. It was why he knew to call Alexis when things had gotten so ugly, so sour between him and Carly. It was the only thing he could do so as not to be torn between the two of them. Sonny admired Jason's loyalty and devotion to Carly, even if it irked him at times. But he accepted it because he knew that if push came to shove, Jason would stand in his corner.

Jason would help him now as he always had.

All Sonny had to do was decide what he wanted to keep and sign the rest away to Jason. Then, he would be out of this dangerous lifestyle for good, his children would be safe from it, and may be – just may be – Kate would agree to be his wife. Now that they had found their way back to each other again, he was pretty sure that the only thing that held her back was his questionable business. With him completely out of it, she would not have to worry anymore about him or her safety. He knew that, while she had yet to speak of her injury, she was far from feeling safe around him.

Reaching for his phone, he made the call that would change his life – for the better.

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?" Kate asked once he'd shut the phone. She walked around the couch to sit beside him now that his pensive mood had broken. Her touch on his leg was gentle but her eyes pierced him, examining his mindset and the determined line of his jaw carefully, weighing her words.

In the pensive mood he was in, anything she said might not be taken in the right context, so she had to be very careful about how she approached this subject. She wasn't too sure that this would solve anything. The damage had already been done. Did he really think that this would help him? Would help any of them move past the tragedy of Michael's shooting?

And what of Jason? If Sonny could make the choice to walk away, didn't Jason also have that right? Was it not also his child at stake here? Didn't he have the right to have a new life, away from the mob? Was he not allowed some kind of choice to leave while he was still only marked as a simple gunman? A gunman could walk away easier than the man in charge for he was simply a body.

That would change if he accepted this offer, his position would be something else completely. He would no longer be able to hide away behind an anonymous identity – he would be utterly and completely focused on. His face would be known. As a result, he would be marked and watched, measured and judged by his enemies. The heat would fall away from Sonny – and land on Jason.

In her heart of hearts, she knew this solution wasn't right – even if she wanted to be with Sonny without having to look over her shoulder all the time.

Jason deserved to have the same choice that Sonny did. She knew that he had embarked on a tentative relationship with Elizabeth, wanting to be a part of his son's life. Was it really fair of Sonny to ask him to turn his back on his child and the woman he loved just so that he could start a new life? A life where he'd be promised the protection of the new mob boss of Port Charles, his own former right hand man and most trusted enforcer?

And there was another question in her mind, one she didn't know how to phrase. Would it even be true protection instead of a mere illusion of protection for who could say for sure that they would honor this change and not believe that he was still there, calling the shots?

Sonny looked at her, disbelief in his eyes. "Of course it's the right thing to do. I should have done it before," his voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. It didn't need to be said, they could hear the words anyway – that if he hadn't stayed in this business as long as he had, Michael wouldn't have been shot tonight. His beautiful daughter, Adela, and his sons wouldn't have been kidnapped by that nut job Faith. They were no less painful for their unspoken status. "Getting out is the only way to provide for my children's safety and futures. If I get out, I can have an active part in their lives."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, wishing that he'd take more time to _think_ about this. That he would think about it and plan it out instead of just reacting to the challenge thrown at him, there was more at stake than he could see right now.

Leaving the business was not something one could do easily. It wasn't like changing clothes or a car. It was more difficult, there were other things involved than simply walking away. She couldn't understand why neither Sonny nor Alexis seemed to understand that simple fact. The mob was not a job that one could just walk away from and _not_ expect retribution. There was no walking away.

It was the total summation of life and being.

"Do you have a better idea?" he asked, staring at her. His eyes were cold as he though about something, though he knew she'd never suggest it. She knew how much he loved his children. "Other than giving my children up and never having another one to protect them from the blood of my life? The blood on my hands?"

Kate sighed, knowing that there was nothing she could say at that moment that wouldn't set him off. It was in his eyes, he wasn't in the mood to listen. At least, not to her because she knew he wanted to talk and have someone give him the answers he sought. "Of course not, Sonny. I would never suggest that you just close yourself off to your children – or your future children should there be any. I'm just…I think you should take some time to _think_ about what you are doing before you make an irrevocable decision, that's all."

"There is nothing to think about, Kate. I need to leave the business for the sake of my family. End of discussion," he said, rising to his feet. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Where are you going?" she asked, deflated.

"To bed," he simply replied and he disappeared up the stairs. The distance between them widened but he felt as though a hand was at his back, supporting him. It was _putting_ him to bed, he couldn't stop the laugh at that thought, remembering the emphasis she had placed on the words. Alexis had known where his mind would go and deliberately played upon their past friendship to remind him that he'd been in this kind of situation before. That he had been there and had come through all right, scared, singed, and bent – but not broken.

Kate watched him go, thinking deeply about what had happened just now – and before, in the hospital. Mind spinning with thoughts she couldn't seem to order, she grabbed her purse and rose, thinking that a walk would do her some good.

It had to.

Sitting here alone, in the dark, surrounded by his guilt, was not helping. It was only letting ill thoughts and feelings swirl about inside, storing themselves up and turning into phantasms of worry and aggravation that, in the end, would burn her. She had to get out of this room, out of the darkly oppressive atmosphere of it before she went insane from unanswerable queries and the guilt that ate away at her.

"Not so fast, Kate," Diane said from the doorway. "What was that phone call from Sonny really about?"

"Damned if I know," she sighed, tossing her purse back down onto the table and sitting down. "All I know is that he saw a woman – his former attorney and mother of his daughters – at the hospital."

"Former…Alexis Davis is here?" she asked, sinking into the seat opposite her.

"Yeah, you know her?"

"Know her?" she scoffingly asked. "One does not know Alexis Davis. One hears about her or reads about her, but one does not really _know_ Alexis Davis. What did she do?"

"Talked to Sonny, challenged his position and his words. She basically said that if he really loved his children, he'd get out of the mob. That he would leave. I don't think either of them gets what that truly means," Kate said, folding her arms in front of her. "And Sonny is so desperate to make amends, to do penance for his crime, that he's decided to do it. He's leaving the whole business to Jason as he told you on the phone. Diane, he's not even thinking about it, just reacting to her challenge."

Diane briskly nodded, "All right. Well, I won't try to talk to him yet. He might cool off and think better of it by morning. But I do want to talk to Ms. Davis, find out what she was thinking, issuing such a challenge to him when she must know the trouble it would cause. At this moment, he's in the most vulnerable frame of mind. Anything said to him could set him off. She's not stupid, so why does she think that this will work?"

"In her defense, I don't think she really expected Sonny to do it. Even though he was listening to her – and actually following her orders – I don't think she gets that he would _actually_ do something like that. He never has before, why would he do so now?" Kate sighed, closing her eyes. "It was…surreal, Diane, to see this woman come in and just take over. Literally, take over the whole situation and diffuse it in such a manner that everyone just walked away, thinking that what she was saying was the right thing. No one even stopped to think that she could be wrong."

"Well, I can hardly give any insights into a situation I know nothing of but I'm sure she sounded reasonable. And, from past experience, people respond better to reason in times of stress when their minds are stretched to the point of breaking. Strangely enough, our minds hear the logic in another's words and take it as truth instead of as a condescension. The human mind is a very odd thing, Kate."

"It's no odder than the human heart," she muttered, thinking of her own situation with Sonny and how relieved she had been that she hadn't been shot. That, even though she'd been with him, she walked away without a physical injury – only a mental one, though she shied away from that thought. For Michael had been – and it had been because of her that he was there in the first place. If she had waited to talk to Carly, this mightn't have happened.

Well aware of the tensions that had been between Michael's parents because it was he who'd accidently shot her and left her there. She knew it was an accident and forgave him, showing how she felt by taking him to visit Sonny at the warehouse. Because she hadn't talked to Jax or Carly about it, she shared some guilt in what happened afterward. Feeling uncomfortable around Carly was no reason to ignore her parental rights.

"Did Ms. Davis say where she was saying?"

Diane's voice pierced her thoughts and she looked at the other woman, "No. Now that I think about it, there wasn't much attention brought to her and her situation. But I would imagine she'd be staying at the Metro Court, there really isn't any place else for her to go."

"Not entirely true for she could go to Wyndemere," Max's voice came from the arcadia door. The moonlight shone into the room, allowing some of the ever present gloom to dissipate. "Hello, Ms. Miller. Is everything all right with the boss?" he asked as he entered, closing and locked it behind him.

"Max," she smiled, remembering their encounter in this room fondly. Her eyes twinkled as she wondered how soon they could have a repeat performance, though her face remained calm. Now was certainly _not_ the time to indulge in such pleasant thoughts. As confident as she was in her ability to remain in control of her emotion and this situation, this was new to her – and it was definitely new to Max.

His awkwardness was endearing. "As far as I know, he's physically fine. But his mental state is another matter entirely. Why would she go to Wyndemere? Isn't it late for a visit to the elusive Prince?"

"Not really, she's gone to the island later than this. You do know that her nephew owns the place, right?" he added, uncertainly. There was an awkwardness to his darting looks that would occasionally met hers before flitting away again. How did one address the woman he'd had sex with in this very room anyway? Especially when said woman acted as though nothing had happened?

"Oh, really?" her eyebrow arched on the question before a smile curved her lips. "I think I'm going to enjoy meeting this woman with her aristocratic heritage, her downright scary legal success – and her highly dangerous taste in choosing men to have a one night stand with."

"It wasn't like that at all, Ms. Miller. Ms. Davis is far to classy for that," Max said, stung by her words. Stung by the memory the words brought up. He remembered that night, all to well. The argument he could hear from outside the door, the tension that seemed to poison the entire area as the boss realized that she was serious – she would walk out and never be seen again.

It wouldn't be like their break-up over Zander, she would be gone from his life as if she was never there – she wouldn't even stick around to see him prosecuted for anything. There would be no tears, no slaps, no recriminations for his actions or his deeds. No, the boss would never have a chance to even right the wrongs that he had done.

She would just leave.

Max couldn't take it and walked away, unable to hear the final end to their friendship. If he had only known – had only realized just how much the boss had needed her in his life – he would not have walked away. So much pain and agony could have been averted had he just stayed at his post like he was supposed to.

Had he been there, the door would have remained barred to Mrs. C firmly. What had transpired between the boss and Ms. Davis had been for them alone. And no one – not even the woman he admired who had once held firm place in the penthouse – should have seen it. It wasn't really her business when the two had been more than legally separated, they had been divorced.

Swallowing back his guilt with effort, he looked at the two women. "I need to lock up, so unless you are both planning on staying, I'm asking you to leave."

Kate leaned back further into the cushions, abandoning the idea of a walk. "I'm staying, Max. Sonny may need someone to talk to." It was a weak excuse for she knew very well that he wasn't going to talk to her. He'd already made up his mind about what to do and anything she had to say would be ignored. Quite possibly the only one who could get through to him about how insane this plan was, was Diane. She would be able to fight him because she wasn't risking losing his love and affection.

How did she end up in this position anyway? Caring more about a man's love than standing her ground? Didn't she have the right to speak her mind without fear of losing him? Was their love so shaky, so fragile, that she couldn't stand up and say her piece? Was this what she really wanted for herself? Did she really want to be with a man who wouldn't let her have any opinion that was opposite of his own?

Trevor may not have been a prince, but at least he let her speak her mind. He let her have her own career, even a separate bank account that he couldn't touch. Though she didn't trust him about much because of his shadier dealings, she trusted his word when he said that it was her own to do what she would with it.

Of course, her own thoughts when setting that up had originally been about protecting any children they might have in the future. She didn't want any child to grow up as she had, wondering how they would get a decent education. She wanted them to have a chance, something got fall back upon. That was back when she still was highly romantic and full of hope that they'd have a good life together. That Trevor would not was to remain in the mob life style. She had severely underestimated the power and influence it held upon those who became part of it.

His greatest mistake was that he never thought that she would turn around and use it to escape his life. But after the suicide of the one person who'd been a somewhat equal in that world, she couldn't stay. Somewhere inside, she'd known that she couldn't handle that pressure. If that strong woman had fallen apart so easily after being born and bred into that life, how could she – a girl from the inner city without the requisite pedigree, a girl who was in some ways from a small city – hope to survive that life?

"I'm sure the boss'll appreciate that," Max's voice was neutral. "And you, Ms. Miller?"

"I think I'll go," Diane said, rising to her feet. "There's not much that I can accomplish tonight, not without talking to Sonny first. And if he is resting, I don't want to disturb him. He might think better of this idea after a good night's rest. Walk me out?"

"Sure," he replied, awkwardly aware of how very much like a needy puppy he sounded. He couldn't even begin to understand why he was thinking about having another round of sex when the boss needed him to be sharp and on his guard.

He must be out of his mind.

As soon as the door had shut behind them, Diane pushed him against it, attacking his mouth. An _ahem_ broke them apart and she glanced over her shoulder to see Jason standing there. Though stoic as always, there was a slight light of embarrassment in his eyes. "Hello, Jason."

"Hi," his quiet voice was nearly lost under Max's embarrassed groan.

"Sonny has gone to bed," she calmly informed him, acting as if this was normal. If she had any say in it, it would be, so both men had better get used to it. "You could join Kate in vigil over him, I'm taking Max home with me. See you in the morning," lacing her hand through Max's, she pulled him off, completely disregarding any complaints he might have made with a, "Jason's with him."

Jason opened his mouth to call them back and thought better of it, walking into the house. He wasn't sure what to think of the lawyer and the bodyguard, so decided not to worry or think about it. Though strange, it really wasn't his business what they did when they weren't working. And he'd seen various members of Sonny's force around, so he knew that Max could take the time off.

Forgoing the foyer, he made his way up the stairs and knocked on the door, waiting for Sonny to let him in.

Or tell him to go away as he would if he was with Kate, though Jason really hoped that was not the case. The pallor of Alexis' face disturbed him – as did the rather startling fact that she knew Jerry and James Craig were the same person. Her attitude was rather blasé about having been found in a rather intimate embrace with the terrorist and who knows how long they had been like that before he and Carly had returned to say good-night to Michael.

There was just something so frighteningly passive about her attitude towards the sociopathic terrorist and his focus on her that bothered him.

"Yes?" Sonny asked over a yawn, opening the door.

Much to Jason's chagrin, it looked like he had actually been sleeping and not merely resting. He wasn't too sure of his feelings in regard to the implications of that. Then again, a well rested Sonny was a man less likely to go out and do something stupid. He was less likely to order a hit like he had done when AJ had returned with Courtney, married. Jason didn't think he'd even bothered to thank Alexis for stopping the attempt.

On the other hand, he shouldn't be able to rest easy when Michael would never be with them again. He, himself, couldn't rest at all. Driven by this grief and need for answers, he couldn't let go. It didn't seem right that the one who had gotten them all involved in this could relax. When their (and he really did consider himself as much a father to Michael as Sonny did) had lost his life because of the choices they had made about how to live their lives. It had a tinge of something wrong to it.

"Has something happened?" his voice sharpened on the second question as his sleepy mind processed the fact that it was _Jason_ who stood before him. This wasn't one of his men, this was the man who'd left with Carly, had taken her home. His mind went instantly to Michael – and Morgan. What if the attack had really been aimed at his child? Was Morgan next?

"This is not about Michael – or Morgan," he said, quick to reassure him. "The both of them are fine. But there may be a problem with Jerry Jacks."

"There's always a problem with him," Sonny rolled his eyes. Though there was still anger in him over what Jacks had done to them, he had forced himself to let it go for the sake of his sons – and Carly. He couldn't allow the mother of his children to be torn between her husband and children's feelings – and his own, even though she shared them. To have his children exposed to such anger between their parents was unfair and hurtful – Kate was right about that. "I'm not interested in what he's doing if it doesn't have to do with Michael."

"What if it has to do with Alexis?" he quietly asked.

Sonny stepped aside, gesturing for Jason to enter the room., that was different Walking over to the small bar he had, he poured himself a shot of…something he wasn't even going to think about before tossing it back. Eyes watering, he felt the familiar burn of it trailing fire down his throat and warming him up, though he was fully aware that it was only an illusion of warmth. It still felt good.

In the background, he could hear Jason sitting down near the window. It was his favorite spot because he could keep an eye on things and get Sonny and himself out of danger if it became necessary. Opening the fridge once his sight had cleared from the alcoholic haze, he pulled out a bottle of water and looked questioningly at Jason. At his affirming nod, he pulled out another and passed it to him, grateful for the first time that he _had_ this unit in here, though it still felt strange to have a fridge in his bedroom.

It cut down on a lot of travel time.

Sitting down across from Jason, he fiddled with the bottle and took a few deep breaths, steeling himself for this conversation. Of all the people he didn't want to get into a fight with, Jerry Jacks was one of them. Not that he personally cared about Jasper Jacks' feelings but he knew that Morgan and Michael were fond of their Uncle, odd though he was. They really enjoyed spending time with him. If he could, he'd like to avoid breaking Morgan's heart further.

Plus, there was a feeling that if he went up against him – again – he'd lose the battle. He'd tried to defend them back when they were held hostage and it had been ineffectual. If there was one thing Sonny was b ad at, it was losing graciously. And this was a battle he instinctively knew he'd not be able to walk away from – or renew after taking a breather. Jerry Jacks recognized him as a threat and would treat him as such. While his other enemies may threaten him, none would outright kill him. If push came to shove, Jerry would.

"All right, what did he do to Alexis?" he asked, feeling ready to hear this.

Here, Jason hesitated. Jerry hadn't actually _done_ anything to her. It was just the feeling that he made a kind of proprietary claim upon her through mere solicitousness. "Nothing that one could say was a threat – I just think he's focusing on her a bit to much for my comfort," he paused, then told him what he had observed when he and Carly had gone back to say good-night.

Sonny rose and paced, bottle in hand, wishing to grab something stronger.

But he wouldn't give into that temptation. When dealing with a man like Jerry Jacks, a clear head was not only a priority – it was a necessity. "And Alexis didn't push him away?" he asked, adding softly. "That doesn't sound like her at all." And he spoke from experience. If there was one woman who knew how to effectively cut the knees out from underneath a man, it was Alexis Davis.

In fact, that was what had drawn him to her time and time again after they had met. Any one else would have quite, given up, but Sonny didn't. He knew what he wanted in his business corner. And what he wanted was the best that money could buy and intelligence could offer. It was only later that he found himself drawn towards her personally and wanted to get past her barriers, to discover the woman behind the image of the perfect Cassadine princess.

Flirting didn't work with her, even if she reacted because she was a woman – and he was a man who knew how to reach a woman. So, his flirtations had reached out to her, making her flustered, making her blush. But it was only a minimal breach in her defenses. She had only turned it into a dance with him.

Of course, his normal method of barreling his way past her defenses failed because she merely retreated behind a barricade even more impregnable than her regular fortress walls. The only way to defeat that tactic was to get under her skin, get within her blood – which was no easy task on the best of days. And he wanted this, to get to her because she had gotten to him in a way that he hadn't expected. He related to her in a way he hadn't expected and enjoyed her company, all he wanted was for her to feel the same way towards him.

So, he kept searching and pressing her buttons, enjoying the give and take of their relationship. It was strange and exciting, unlike any relationship he'd ever had with a woman. And then, to his dismay, he found the way in.

On a tragic, snowy night that haunted him still, he breached that wall. In desecrated snow, he looked up at this woman and knew he'd reached her. As his blood stained the ground and her hands, he knew he had her. It may have been against her will, but she was with him, on the same page as he was.

There was no more doubt for him. He knew he could trust her. And trust her he did. Giving into her keeping a secret he'd never been able to speak of to Carly, he told her to tell his wife he loved her. But it was more than that – and she recognized the significance of it.

With a few words, he turned over the protection of his wife to the one woman she despised, saw as a rival for his affections. May be Carly had reason, he'd never know for sure, but it never mattered to his friend. She did her best to protect him, to protect Michael, and to be there for them both. Alexis had proven to be a worthy keeper of that trust, until Kristina came along and blew their safe world wide open.

Suddenly, nothing made sense anymore – and the one he needed to clarify everything for him was distant and unreachable. Pressures that neither had expected to have to deal with were suddenly there, tainting the air between them with uncomfortable silences and questions that shouldn't have to be asked. She just wasn't there for him anymore.

And everything had gotten that much worse between them after AJ and Courtney's marriage. He broke, she was there for him, against all odds, they had chosen each other – and then, when he needed her the most, she had quietly left his life. The news that Carly had faked her accident hit him hard. The aftermath of that shock had been horrendous – he had barely been a human being.

It didn't help that she had retreated from him, using her new connections to protect her from him. He needed his friend there – and she needed to be as far from him as she could get. That phone call from her, telling him that he was a father of a beautiful girl, had pulled him back from the ledge. Had set him on the course of cleaning up his life and his mind – an act that almost fell apart when he was denied access to his daughter.

Oddly enough, it was that very fact that she left him that saved their friendship. Though she did all she could to protect Kristin and herself from his enemies, she had never tried to protect them from him – except to restrict his access to her. It was that distinction, that belief that she wasn't fearful of him, that helped him through the pain of enforced separation.

And he knew that if she had stayed, a feeling of acrimony would have developed between them because she couldn't reconcile herself to his life with a new life on the way – and he wouldn't have been able to let her go. The both of them, mother and child, would have become the center of his life.

Who knew what Carly would have done then? His poor wife had been as unbalanced as he was – and being together did nothing to alleviate their mental instability for they just feed each other's insecurities. They loved each other, that was true. He'd never be able to deny it – but they were toxic for each other.

"She knew who he was," Jason softly said, unaware that he'd lost Sonny's attention. Realizing how ridiculous that statement was in light of her relationship with Jax, he elaborated, "She knows that James Craig and Jerry Jacks are one and the same. Sonny, she warned me away from him, saying that I didn't know the truth about him."

"No, _Alexis_ is the one who doesn't know who he is," Sonny's correction was sharp, the words Jason spoke bringing him out of his thoughts with an unpleasant thump. "She's attracted to him, Jason. So, she's blind to the truth and is trying to justify him in her mind and to us before anything happens between them. It's how she talked herself into being my lawyer, into staying with me and turning a blind eye to many of my questionable practices."

"Not this time," Jason quietly contradicted him. "This time, she knows what she's talking about. I could see it in her eyes. Personal feelings for him or not, she _knows_ far more than we do. Sonny, don't you remember why Jerry left in the first place?"

Sonny did. It was one of the few times he'd willingly helped Jax. One of the few times that he'd had Jax at his mercy and under his thumb – and the only time he wouldn't take advantage of having the man in his debt. Hate him though he might, he couldn't help but respect his loyalty to his brother. A loyalty that had him begging an enemy to help him out. There had never been any intention in his mind to ask for something in return.

Somehow, it hadn't felt right to take advantage of Jax like that. And he had a feeling that it was partly because of his help then that Jax had helped him when Courtney had disappeared, turning up at the Quartermaines under the care of one AJ. Although, he was also aware that Alexis had something to do with it. He certainly knew the only reason he'd listened was because of her.

He sank down onto the bed, head in his hands. A deep sigh escaped him, more and more, it felt as though his life was spiraling out of his control and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. "The question remains, what are we going to do about them? I don't want him near my girls," he looked up and met Jason's understanding eyes.

Softly, he confided, feeling somewhat freer for the telling. The pain still lingered, though it was less. "You know that Jax wants me to sign over parental rights to Michael and Morgan. How can I do that when the greater threat to them is invited into their house? Is free to play with them and take them about town? Does he want my life as payment for something I did to him?"

"I don't know," Jason finally said.

"Could freaky boy find anything out about him? The truth about what happened when he left town?" he asked.

"I really wish you wouldn't call Spinelli that," Jason protested. "After all that he's done for you – and for me – the least you could do is give him some respect. I know that he's a little…overzealous and hard to take but he means well. He's a good kid who is even now trying to find out what happened at the warehouse that night."

Sonny threw up his hands in frustrated surrender. "All right," he said, exasperated with this constant pressure to treat that twit like a human. Could he help it if the boy made it hard to do so when he used such strange language and had such an affinity for the computer – and none of that savant came about when dealing with people? He invited such behavior.

Yet, he had a loyal following trying to help him, though Sonny was unable to figure out just why they wanted to do it at all. First Carly, then Kate, and now Jason ganged up on him, there was no point in fighting the inevitable any longer. "Can Spinelli find out about Jacks? About what he did after becoming the terrorist Mr. Craig?"

"He's been searching but his record has been swiped clean. I'm not sure what that means," he said, knowing he'd be asked that very thing. "As far as we can trace him, Jerry left Port Charles as arranged by you. From Paris, he disappeared. There is no record of him travelling or living anywhere specific. Until January of last year, there was no record of a Mr. James Craig. He has no country or any line of ancestry anywhere – at least, not the Craig who came here."

"Wiped clean?" he repeated. He wracked his memory, something about that striking a cord within his mind. "Back when Reece was here, she said something about that. I don't remember exactly how we got onto the subject but she said that there are only two reasons that happens. One, if a person enters protective custody. And two, if a person enters work so secret, they cannot be known should anything happen to them. I know for a fact that this happened to Alexis. She was a main suspect when the boys and Adela were kidnapped by Faith and AJ."

"I thought she was just an attorney for the civilians who work at Cheyenne Mountain," Jason said, finally opening the bottle and taking a deep drink. The water sliding down his throat felt good, cool, but only partially quenched his thirst. "It sounds to me as if there's something else going on."

"Whatever it is, I'm not allowed to know," he shook his head as though to shake off his curiosity. It didn't help – he was still burning to know. Whatever it was she did in that place, it was obviously dangerous. Why else would they wipe any record of her clean? The question remaining in his mind was how dangerous was it to their girls?

But now was not the time to pursue those thoughts. There were other dangers, far closer to them right now. "So, after Jerry leaves, he completely disappeared from any kind of record. When was the work on his face done? And why? Have you found anything out about that?"

"Only that it really _is_ because of an accident," Jason told him. "He was indulging in one of his passions – racing cars – when his spun out of control and crashed into another, sending it into a barrier. The other car had no real damage as the driver was able to regain control of his own vehicle. That's really the last known act of Jerry Jacks, though there were some places he cropped up when being visited by his family."

"Did Alexis give you any hint about him or what he was doing?" he asked. The idea that was twigging at his mind almost had him squirming uncomfortably but it was possible. All to possible that Jacks was doing some undercover work – and was therefore, protected by whoever he was working for and the mission he was involved in. Which meant, he could get killed.

Now, Sonny could care less about what happened to Jerry Jacks. But if he was working with Alexis in some way, it might involve their daughters. They may even be put in the line of fire. And that was something he couldn't approve of at all. Although, there was a feeling that the girls were quite safe. If anyone could protect them from the coming danger, it would be a psychopath like Jacks.

That thought made him ill.

"No, although I didn't want to press her for details. I mean, she had almost passed out and was being admitted for dehydration," he stopped, startled when Sonny jumped up and went to his closet. "I didn't tell you that?" he asked, trying to remember what he'd said.

"No," Sonny reached for some clothes, not looking at them. Really, anything would do. Dressing quickly, "You failed to mention anything more than that she had a powerful coughing spell that required medical help. I thought it was just because she'd been talking to much, just like the old days. Is she going to be okay?"

"Dr. Drake said she would be," he said. "Sonny, where are you going?"

"To see Lex," he grabbed his keys and opened the door. "I don't care what she says. In her weakened state, she can't handle Jacks or take care of our daughters."

Jason privately thought that it was _Jerry_ who was in trouble. Weakened or not, Alexis was not going to simply play his game. From what he had seen, she was more than able to handle him. The man seemed rather willing to bend to her commands. There was no way she was going to go through this dark world all over again. And if she was telling the truth, she would know that Jerry's world was far darker than Sonny's.

At least, he didn't think she would.

Over the years, she could have changed. Sonny could be right about her being blinded by her feelings. Though they had just become reacquainted, the man had some charm. And she wasn't immune to charm. Even when she lived here, she had a definite weakness for the bad boy. The guy with the questionable reputation and the whole world standing against him, it was an irresistible lure to her – the woman who enjoyed defending the undefendable.

Unfortunately for them all, Jerry Jacks more than fit that profile.

Pushing himself upright, he followed after Sonny. Half of his mind was thinking about ways to talk him out of seeing her, while the other half wanted to step back and let Sonny handle it. This was comfortable to him. This was where he belonged, following after Sonny, doing what he was told to do.

"What's going on?" Kate asked, leaning against the doorframe, grabbing hold of Jason's arm before he could escape her grasp.

"Alexis is in danger from Jerry Jacks," Sonny replied for him, grabbing his jacket from the closet. "I'm going to straighten her out about him. I don't really care what she says, he's bad news."

"Aren't all men in one sense or another?" she observed, her voice held a biting edge of sarcasm to it. One that was ignored, letting go of Jason, she asked. "Should I have someone prepare some rooms for them?"

"The girls have gone to Wyndemere," Jason answered before Sonny could say yes. "Before I left, I saw Nikolas come in with Elizabeth. She's going to help him until Kristina arrives."

"Why did no one ask me?" Sonny asked, hurt that Alexis hadn't even considered calling him to take them. While he had no part in the actual conception of Molly, he loved her dearly. She was as much his as Kristen was.

"She told you to go to bed," Kate reminded him, her voice almost dripping with acid, "Which you did. I guess she thought you'd be sleeping."

It was a sharp reminder and he paused, wondering if he should wait until morning. After all, she was in the hospital, not far away from Jax. Jerry wouldn't try anything, not with his own brother in the building. The influence Jax had over Jerry had the old, familiar charmer that Sonny had known walking around town. Under Jax's watchful eye, there had been nothing untoward happening around town – at least, not anything they could pin to Jerry. So, she should be safe for the night.

Wasn't she? It was finally that unanswerable question that had him walking out the door.

Alexis was, not only the mother of his children, a friend. He knew how she thought and felt. If there was anyone who would tug at her heartstrings, move her to act with forgiveness and compassion, it would be Jerry. Not only was he a powerful, bad boy – the kind she was drawn to the most - he was the brother of her former husband, a man she adored.

She was in danger, something she attracted more often than she did insane men, and he _had_ to help her , even if it made her angry with him for interfering like this. Not being a fool (though there were some who would argue against that little idea of his) he knew that she would lynch him for treating her like a damsel in distress. But how could he help doing it? If she was going to associate with men of questionable reputations, she was going to be a distressed damsel from time to time.

He privately resolved _not_ to tell her that particular thought, not if he wanted to have any children in the future.

"Jason?" Kate's voice stopped him from following Sonny out the door. "Can I have a word with you? It's rather important."

Jason merely turned and looked at her, unsure about how he felt about this woman. The bright side to her being the woman in Sonny's life was that he wasn't distracted from business as he had been with the other women he'd been involved with. With Kate, while he still had occasional moments of distraction, he never let it interfere with what he was doing and what he needed to do.

Still, the fact that she had been involved – married, his mind reminded him – to Trevor Lansing, an enemy of theirs, was unsettling. He didn't know if they could trust her. There was something about her, about the way that she couldn't quite meet his eyes, that bothered him.

When she said nothing, he finally prompted her with an impatient, "Yes?"

"Alexis challenged Sonny to leave the mob – and he accepted that challenge. He wants to leave the business to you," Kate blurted out, cursing herself for having had that drink on an empty stomach.

He didn't even flinch at her words or the idea. "Sonny always says he's going to leave when something like this happens. He never does."

"So, you're not worried even though he had Diane draw up the papers?" she asked, making her way back to the bar and pouring another shot of scotch. Tossing it back, she poured another and turned around to face him, idly playing with the rim of the glass.

Jason didn't answer. Not only wasn't it her business, he just didn't consider her a close enough friend to confide in. She wasn't his friend for all that she and Sonny had been together for the past few months, becoming nearly inseparable. "You might want to stop drinking before you say something that you'll regret."

"Is that your standard answer to everything?" she asked, defiantly tossing it back and reaching for another. If she was going to do this – get drunk, that was - she was going to do it right. Not that she really understood why she was drinking, she just felt the need to be a little defiant. "To avoid answering any question, you merely redirect conversation towards the other person?"

"Good night, Ms. Howard," he answered, walking away from her.

He couldn't handle this, not tonight. He wasn't going to pick up the pieces of another woman to run into Sonny and his constant drama, he had enough on his hands with Carly and all of her drama. As much as he cared about her, she wearied him. Both high strung and high maintenance, he was often relieved when he had business – no matter how disgusting or questionable – to escape into.

Sonny didn't usually drive himself anywhere but he wanted to be alone this night. While his men were paid to be silent, to remain in the background, and keep him safe, there was just something about them being around that inhibited thought. It was almost like, even though they were being unobtrusive, by their very presence, they were intruding. And at this particular moment, he needed to concentrate on what to do about Alexis – and his girls.

His girls...that thought paused him and his smiled, almost aware of how goofy he must look.

Right now, he had unlimited access to his girls and he couldn't afford to blow this chance by being stupid. By doing something stupid, even if it was in the name of protecting them from a threat he saw that they did not. They meant the world to him, something he hadn't dreamed possible. All three of them were here, in a place that represented danger to Alexis.

Why had she come back now? Was it merely to help them? Or did she want to rub in the fact that she had been right about his lifestyle being dangerous to his kids? He could have slapped himself for that thought. After his children had disappeared, she had called him to offer her sympathy and her support.

Nothing more than that, just heartfelt sympathy. It had been odd to hear her voice and not be able to go over to her place and see her. The sound of her voice, so assertive and familiar in a world that had gotten dark and filled with terror, had calmed him. Had given him focus and allowed him to offer his cooperation with the FBI, though everything he knew had rebelled against such a union, fearing that they would try to use that connection to either bring him down – or force him to turn over state's evidence. It was not an impossible thought and he knew that, if it came down to it, he would.

His children meant everything to him.

And that was why he was silent about them and their wishes. For she'd been right when she'd told him that it was his best option. If he were to do something that interfered with their work, his children would suffer for it. His children would pay the price of his actions, any action he took on his own.

It took strength he didn't know he had to remain silent with her, to not beg her to join him. While he'd wanted to – so badly he could taste the words upon his tongue – he had resisted that temptation. Superseding that desire for his entire family to be by his side was the fear that choked him at the thought of his daughter being there. Of putting Kristen, in the line of this psycho's fire because he knew she would be.

It had been then that she'd first told him that if he truly loved them, he would do his best to leave this dangerous life behind him. After they had been found, safe and sound, she had told him to quit. To use the intelligence he had and find a way to leave it all behind him. And he just couldn't do it. He could not leave this world. What was he without the life that had defined him since he'd entered his teen years?

Was there life for him outside of this world he created so long ago that he couldn't remember what it was like to live outside of bullet proof glass and body guards?

Sonny honestly didn't think there was back then – and then she had reentered his life. It was a surprise, a startling, wonderful surprise. Like a breath of fresh air, yet bringing with her a sense of the familiar, came one Kate Howard, the former Connie Falconeri of Bensonhurst. The first girl he'd ever really cared anything about, the one he'd planned to run away with and start a new life with. Blowing apart every notion he'd ever held of her and the place a woman should have in his life, she shook him from his apathetic lethargy and challenged him in a way that he hadn't been in years.

Kate was all woman, confident, sexy, and definitely not about to bow down to his wishes. She pushed back as hard as she needed to, not forcing him to bend to her wishes but granting him the security and leniency to yield the power to her. It was a give and take relationship they had, one that he thoroughly enjoyed.

It was one of the reasons he had proposed to her – and the main reason he'd been so hurt by his reaction to his proposal. Not being accustomed to wearing his heart on his sleeve, he had taken a big chance and felt as though the door had been slammed in his face. As a result, he'd acted like a complete and utter ass to her when she tried to explain herself to him.

He was deeply grateful that she had forgiven him and accepted him back into her life and her heart after how he had acted. And after what had happened to her at Michael's hands – accident or not – she knew that he'd learned that behavior from the men he called family, he could only pray that he'd be worthy of her trust and love.

She was truly one of a kind.

The hospital came into sight and he parked, noticing Ian Devlin shooting him some rather strange looks. He racked his memory, trying to remember if he'd ever had any kind of conversation with the man. Nothing came to mind and he shrugged it off – though the sense of danger remained. There was just something about the man that screamed trouble to him.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted her quietly, not wanting to startle her. Taking in her appearance, he noticed how very tired she seemed. How worn down and his heart twisted inside, aching for her. Every thought in his mind went to her boy, Jake – Jason's son. How her mind must be thinking of the million and one ways Michael's case could so easily be that of her own son.

"Hey," she smiled at him, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, you could tell me which room Alexis is in? And then you could tell me why you aren't with Nikolas and the girls?" he made it sound like a question.

Pulling out a folder, she opened it and found what she was looking, though she'd already had the room number memorized. Having been transferred into that wing, she had made an effort to remember who was there and for what reason. "She's in the room across from Michael's. As for why I'm here, I do have a shift to finish. Nikolas said that he would be fine with the girls."

"And you believed him?" he asked, knowing that Nikolas had been grieving very deeply for Emily. Many of them were considering putting themselves on suicide watch, though he didn't think it would come down to that. If they were really that worried, they would have called either Alexis or Stefan.

"Well, honestly, no. But Stefan was with him," she nodded at his expression. "I know, I was very surprised to see him myself. But Nikolas didn't seem to be shocked at all, though I was under the impression that when he left, he had no intention of ever coming back to Port Charles. Not that I blame him after all that has gone down. Still, I was glad to see him. If anyone can get through to Nikolas, it will be him."

"One more thing, is Jacks still there?"

"Yes, both of them are there. And Ric showed up not long after Nikolas left," she added, watching his face darken. "Do I need to remind you that this is a hospital and you need to respect our rules?" Her voice sharpened, recalling all to clearly the bad blood that – unfortunately – existed between the brothers. A part of her sympathized with Ric but she knew that much of that animosity was a result of his own actions. She still cared for her ex, as much as she hated to admit it.

It was with effort but he swallowed down his anger, "No. I'll behave. Thank you, Elizabeth."

She nodded, watching him leave with a troubled expression. One hand reached for the phone, making sure to give the orderlies the warning that they may be called to deal with an emergency on that particular floor. One she hoped was unnecessary – but she felt it was needed. Considering the three men who would soon be meeting, every precaution should be taken to assure the safety and well being of those in the hospital.

Once that was done, she turned to Epiphany, shrugging at her look. "I'm not even going to begin to guess about what is going to happen."

"Make sure you page Dr. Trent," her reply was brisk. "Ms. Davis may need him once this is over."

"Yes, ma'am," Elizabeth said, reaching for the phone again. The two worked in silence, trying their best _not_ to think about what could be happening a few feet away from them.

As he walked down the hall, he could clearly hear his brother's words, "I think I have the right to talk to the mother of my nieces." Sonny paused to observe what was going on. All he could really see was Jerry staring at Ric.

"May be I didn't make myself clear, Mr. Lansing," Jerry drawled, looking down his nose at the other man. "At this precise moment, Ms. Davis is resting. This means, as I'm sure even you can figure out, that she is not in the right state of mind to accept guests – especially ones who have no real interest in seeing how she is doing. You are not the District Attorney – or even the Assistant District Attorney. Therefore, you have no real reason to see her at all. If you wish to come back later – say, at a more reasonable hour – I am sure that she will be more than happy to accept your company, dubious though it is. For now, you are unwelcome here."

"Does she realize that she has a sociopathic murderer for a body guard hanging around?" he asked, staring at the man before him, eyes hard. There was a slightly disturbed look in Ric's eyes, one that did not sit well with the man looking back at him.

A smile twisted Jerry's face even as he processed this information. He'd thought that the worst threat Alexis faced would be Devlin and those of his ilk. Possibly even the Zacchara family for they had been making moves to take control of this town – and he knew, from the word on the street, that Claudia wanted Sonny gone.

And, when he'd tried his best to stop the assassination from happening, found himself on the wrong side of his former partner. In a moment of weakness, he'd stupidly dropped his guard and Devlin got the better of him. The night it went down, he'd been hanging upside down in a meat locker across town. To say that he'd been annoyed when he broke out was putting it mildly.

It was no small feat to get rid of them all, but he reminded them as they took their last breaths just _why_ he was the best in the business. No, he wasn't proud of his actions or his particular skills – even if they were necessary for the job he was sent to accomplish – but he admitted that he's found his niche. A niche that could ruin everything if he didn't stay one step ahead of the game.

He would not allow his past to taint his brother's life.

Therefore, his associates had to go – and their knowledge with them. It was no small trick in getting Spinelli to help him but that boy was golden on the computer. What he knew about hacking and information sabotage was pure genius. If he could have, he'd have convinced the boy to leave Morgan and do something better with that knowledge and those abilities. But he was no philanthropist.

And something he would never have used under other circumstances.

Unfortunately, he needed the boy and his mind in order to get all of his safe guards into place – all of them, no matter how far flung. So, he used what he knew about Spinelli's devotion to Morgan to gain his aid. Even though they'd never seen each other – he couldn't take that chance – he convinced him that it was in Morgan's best interests if they worked together.

In truth, that was no lie told to assuage the boy's conscience. The less information could be tracked to him, the less the evidence could be misused against those in the Corrinthos organization. While he really could careless about Sonny, he owed the man for his freedom. And he always repaid his debts.

Now, it appeared that he had a new focus. He'd better look into Lansing's affairs, find out what he'd been doing.

He didn't even need to step closer for the power of the threat in his voice to be heard. "Mr. Lansing, if you truly believe that I am a sociopath, why are you still standing in my presence, trying to force me to step aside? One would think that you are threatening me, spoiling for a fight. Do you think it wise to challenge me – especially if I am as deranged as you believe me to be?"

Sonny thought it best to interrupt before things went to far, though he was slightly curious to find out what Ric had to say. Find out if the idiot would reveal exactly _why_ he was there to see Alexis because he really couldn't care about her, not after she utterly humiliated him.

Plus, he knew just was Jerry was capable of.

While he hated to admit it, he felt the need to protect his brother from himself if he could. Jacks had made a very good point about his attitude. It sounded like Ric was spoiling for a fight. A fight that would only leave him physically wounded, with his ego bruised, and aching revenge on those who had hurt him – even if he'd caused the situation in the first place. There could only be one reason for this – one he didn't like to think about at all even as he admitted to its reality.

What had his idiot of a brother done now?

"Ric, go home. There is no reason for you to be badgering Alexis," he said as he entered the room. It was his hope that he could alleviate the situation before Alexis woke up. The last thing she needed was a rude awakening like this. And he knew that Jax would use his brother's behavior against him, would use it as proof of some kind that he should not be allowed near his son.

While he kept his eyes mostly on his brother, he watched carefully to take note of Jerry's reaction to his arrival. It was disappointing. There was not even a hint of discomfort there. It was almost like Jerry had known he was there, listening to them.

Highly disappointing but understandable in light of the fact that Jason had been there earlier. As everyone in this town knew full well, Jason told him everything. Absolutely everything, they had no secrets from each other – which sometimes made their relationship uncomfortable but it was also stronger for it.

"You can't honestly be agreeing with this man," Ric's voice was highly disbelieving as he stared between the two of them incredulously. His mind seemed unable to grasp what had just happened. Of all the things he expected to hear, this was not one of them. In regards to Jerry Jacks, he'd thought his brother would stand beside him. Once again, he'd lost. This time, the defeat was even more incredible because he'd lost to a _psychopath_.

Was everyone in this town crazy?

"I think agreeing is to strong a word for what he is doing, Mr. Lansing," Alexis' tired voice said. Leaning against the door frame, she looked at the three men wearily. Even in her terrycloth robe with bags under her eyes and her hair mussed, the IV stand beside her, she looked far more authoritative than she had a right to. "I, on the other hand, have no trouble agreeing with Mr. Jacks. Would you please evacuate the premises and come back tomorrow afternoon? This is hardly the time for a social call."

Ric stared at her, "Can I not be concerned about you?"

Her lips twisted up in a smile, "You can be concerned all you want – at a decent hour. Though I must say, if you really cared at all, why are you causing a disturbance outside my door? Not only is it inappropriate in a hospital setting, it is ill conducive to showing concern for a patient who needs rest. I am only going to ask you once more to leave under your own steam. If you do not go now, I will contact the orderlies and have them remove you."

Jerry shifted, making it clear to Ric that he wouldn't wait for the orderlies to arrive. He would remove him from the place before that happened. As for Sonny, he only stood there looking at him, his arms crossing his chest, looking at him. "I'll see you in the morning," he finally said.

"Afternoon," she sharply corrected him, a hand reaching out to hold onto the frame, hidden behind Jerry's body.

"Fine," Ric snapped, walking past his brother, though he was careful not to touch him.

Sonny was torn between following his brother to make sure he actually left. And staying where he was to make sure that she wasn't hurt by her self-appointed body-guard. Jerry had turned towards her, a strange expression on his face. On anyone else, it would be called kindness and affection. Jason had been right, there was definitely something about the way that he was acting towards Alexis that was troublesome.

Could it actually be possible that the man cared about her?

The thought didn't sit well with Sonny for if Jerry really cared, separating him from her would be far more difficult than merely warning him away. There was the slightest chance that his focus on her could bring him fully back from the edge. He knew it was possible for he'd asked Dr. Winters about it when he told her about how real, how _**normal**_ Jerry seemed because of Jax and the way he forgave and treated his brother.

While it was not an equitable solution, it had been known to work in the past. It was possible for redemption to happen if the person cared enough. Of course, it only worked if the person wasn't totally gone to all traces of humanity. Sonny just worried about what would happen if it did work – and then something happened to her.

Trying to escape his darkening thoughts, he followed Ric out into the parking lot, making sure to keep a safe distance between them. The last thing he needed was for the other man to strike up a conversation with him or to accuse him of something. Ric was always looking for a convenient reason to blame him for anything and everything that happened to him.

If he could, Ric would even accuse Sonny of causing the snowstorm that gave Ric pneumonia. His brother was a nutcase and Sonny had no idea what to do about him and his pointless obsession with besting him – and emulating him. Dr. Winters could only offer him advise him. Unless Ric agreed to see her himself, there was really nothing she could do except listen to him.

They disappeared around the corner and the two left breathed a sigh of relief – for different reasons. Jerry glanced down at Alexis, noticing her shaky movements as she turned around to go back to the bed. The IV stand was tightly clasped in one hand and he got the feeling that she had done this before.

"Do you always find it necessary to disobey doctor's orders to rest?" he asked, quickly aiding her.

"Only when I cannot follow them due to obnoxious disturbances outside my door by posturing men trying to out man the other. Would you just quit it, Jerry? I don't need – or want your help," she snapped. Annoyed that, despite her words, she had to accept his help just to get back into bed.

A smile graced his face and he wondered if she had caught her slip. Most likely not – and he wouldn't bring it to her attention. Yet, "I really don't think I will, Alexis. Someone needs to take care of you and I am more than happy to take up the task."

"Lucky me," she muttered, yawning. "Please, when you leave, make sure the door hits you as you go."

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because it spares me the effort of having to smack you myself," she replied, her eyes closing.

654321

_TBC...slowly but surely_.


	4. Chapter 4

_Genre: Alternate Universe.  
Pairings: Kate/Sonny, Max/Diane, faint J-Lex, Jax/Carly, faint Trevor/Kate – for some bizarre reason, the possibilities of this couple appeals to me – and Johnny/Lulu. Also, mentions of past Sexis (kinda hard to avoid it) and Jason/Liz.  
Author's Note: This denies this week's revelation that Claudia was sent away because she decided to seduce Trevor – or whatever really happened between her and him. In my world, she was sent away because she made Anthony very, very uneasy with her protective devotion to Johnny – and his in return for her. The two of them almost have an incestual relationship going on now. Come on, tell me that whenever you se the two of them with each other your mind doesn't instantly go in that direction whenever the two of them are around each other. It's almost like the Alexis/Stefan connection all over again – only this time, the siblings __**know**__ the truth of their relationship. Can you imagine what it must have been like in the past? So, she was sent away before it could get to complicated.  
I may not particularly like Trevor Lansing but I decided to give him back his love for Kate – and created a past life for them. I mean, even if he was a terrible man to Ric – and Adela – he had to have had __**something**__ that attracted Kate to him. I just don't have the feeling that she's the kind of woman who sleeps around with anyone in a powerful position. She's almost as much of a control freak as Alexis is. So, I think I'm going to approach it as though she reached the human side of him and brought it out, made him a more affectionate human being. As he grew more influential and powerful – basically to the point of taking over the Zacchara business – he pulled away, believing that she was a weakening influence upon him and his decisions. Over time, she had become his Achilles Heel and he couldn't afford to keep her close to him, not if he wanted to stay on the top of things.  
Michael did not buy the gun as in the show, but he did accidentally shoot Kate. In a situation similar to what happened to Jack's son, he was practicing with the gun so that he could show Jason and Sonny that he could responsibly use one. Unfortunately, it misfired and Kate became a casualty.  
As for Ric, I believe that he needs professional help, he has a kind of schizophrenic attitude, you know? I'm pretty sure that's the word I'm looking for because he doesn't have the symptoms of someone with a bipolar disorder – or suffering from a multiple personality disorder. And he doesn't really fit the profile of a psychopath or a sociopath. At least, not from the sources I've read to try to understand these conditions. And, yes, Sonny was diagnosed as being bipolar after the whole Carly faked her death incident – they both sought psychiatric help back then.  
I promise, no more page long explanations about my GH world. Really, this will be the last of the lengthy ones, I finally realized that they detract from the story. I also apologize if I've offended anyone at anytime with my random notes – or anything I might've said in my story. That was never my intention. I do hope that everyone is enjoying this story, even if it is taking an awful long time to get it written up. __**BTW**__, until I'm further along, I will __**not**__ be watching the show – merely taping it. I really don't want to have too many conflicts to resolve between what I'm writing and what they are showing.  
Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital or STARGATE SG-1. They belong to ABC and their affiliates and MGM respectively_.

654321

Jason entered the apartment, seeing Spinelli crashed out on the couch, both Maxie and Georgie with him. For a moment, he wondered what was going on. Then, as he looked around, memory returned. It would have been hard not to notice that all around them were scattered books. Not to mention, several half empty soda bottles, including several of Spinelli's beloved orange sodas. It was beyond his understanding on how the boy could drink that stuff, though he supposed it had something to do with his past drug usage.

On the table were a few empty pizza boxes, he was grateful they at least ate at the table. Unlike last time, it looked like they had avoided making the mistake of eating bags of sugar to supplement their flagging energy. Even though they'd had real food, he hoped they had something else with the food than pure sugar drinks. It wasn't like he didn't have fruits and vegetables in his kitchen.

So, he hoped Georige prevailed upon them to eat more than just pizza and soda. She had a great deal of common sense that he was quickly coming to rely upon when Maxie and Spinelli started acting up. The both of them could be foolhardy when the mood struck them. He could only imagine what kind of invective Mac would level at him if he knew that he'd let his daughters just indulge in junk food while they had been here.

Shaking his head at that thought, he really hoped the girls had called Mac and reminded him that they were studying at his place with Spinelli. Otherwise, he'd be in for a visit with the Commissioner – one he was ill equipped to handle. Of course, Mac did trust Georgie's judgment, so may be he'd be safe from that visit. A grin tugged on his lips wearily as he wondered what the man would say if he knew that Alexis was back in town.

Rubbing his eyes, he made his way slowly up the stairs and to his bedroom, laying down on the bed. With his hands behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling, wondering what was going on at the hospital. He wondered if he should arrange to have someone watch over her while she was in the hospital. The girls were safe enough with their cousin on Wyndemere but she was alone, with Jerry for company.

Deciding against – for there was really only one body guard Alexis knew – and he was currently with Diane, he sat up again and tugged off his shoe. Resolved not to think about those two, he wearily undid his belt before falling back and closed his eyes. Breathing easy, he felt himself drift off to sleep, he really hoped that Carly was able to get rest as well.

654321

Carly stood at the entrance of Morgan's room, watching him sleep. The lashes fluttered against his cheek, reminding her that he was alive. It hurt to see him there, his rest peaceful and true, unlike that of Michael and she wondered just how she was supposed to function as if everything was all right. How she was supposed to be a mother for this boy when she had failed to truly help Michael.

Walking into the room, she sank to her knees beside the bed, letting her hand brush his cheek. "I love you, little man," she whispered after a while, rising to her feet. Stumbling from the room, she walked into her room and went to the shower, turning it on.

Emerging, only slightly refreshed but more sleepy than anything, she pulled on a t-shirt and shorts, tossing back the covers. Climbing into the bed, she flipped off the light and realized that she'd left the bathroom light on. It cast a dim, warm glow into the room. Though it had been years since she'd needed to sleep with it on, she decided to let it be.

There was a sense of comfort to be found in that soft glint of light in the blackened room. Closing her eyes, she smiled when she felt a small body climb into her bed with her. Opening her arms, she pulled Morgan close, "Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head, snuggling closer. "I had a bad dream about Michael."

Trying not to tense, she blinked some of the sleep away. "What was it?"

"He wasn't coming home," he yawned.

"Yeah, I have that dream too," she whispered, kissing his head. "But you know what, he will. It just might not be as soon as we want."

Looking up at her, he asked, "Can I see him tomorrow? Like you and daddy Jax do?"

Smoothing back his hair, she thought it over. "I'll talk to his doctors and see what they say. It might still be too soon for a visit. But I won't forget about it. And, hey, may be you can visit your sisters, Molly and Kristen."

"They're here?" he asked, his yawn even wider.

"Yeah, they are," she told him, unsure that he'd even heard her for he'd fallen back to sleep. Looking out the window, she really wished that her mom was there. All she wanted to do was curl up against her chest and sleep, knowing that her mom was there, protecting her sleep and taking care of her.

654321

Sam came down the stairs, looking at Alfred curiously. "What's going on? I just got Spencer settled," she asked, noticing the open door. After such a long day, she couldn't wait to take a bath and go to bed.

"Master Stefan and Master Nikolas have brought the young Davis girls to stay with us," he replied, watching for them to come up the walk.

"Oh?" she asked, stepping back into her nanny shoes. It would be a little more difficult to not only take care of her daughter and Spencer but these girls as well. But she was so grateful to _have_ a job that allowed her to see of her brother that didn't really mind. For the first time in who knows how long, she was making money honestly. She was finally doing something that she'd be proud to tell her daughter about that she was looking forward to the challenge. "Where is Ms. Davis?" she added.

"In the hospital," Nikolas told her, carrying Molly in. A sleepy Kristen followed after him, holding Stefan's hand.

"What?" she gasped, taking hold of their bags.

"She's all right, just dehydrated," Nikolas said, leading the way up the stairs. "If it's all right with you, we'll put the girls in the room right across from yours."

Sam nodded numbly, "That's fine. Is she going to be all right?"

"We didn't get to see her," Nikolas shrugged, well aware of his uncle's disapproving look at how he was talking to her for she was merely a servant. It was one of the few things they disagreed upon. But he couldn't see the point in holding her at a distance. Her daughter, after all, was related to his cousin – and to his son. That made her practically family. "But from what Patrick was saying, she merely overdid a few things."

"Why is she here?" she asked, opening the door and turning on the lights. The ceiling fan went on, circulating the stale air and casting it out once she'd opened two of the windows. Opening the closet, she set the bag she was carrying down and watched as Kristen grabbed into, disappearing into the bathroom. Shrugging, she quickly flipped the coverlet back and untucked the sheets.

Now, she understood why Mr. Cassadine was always so insistent that the bedrooms were always cleaned and ready for visitors. As annoying as it was, it would be far worse if they had to do all of this while the girls waited for their rooms to be prepared. "Should I get the bassinet for Miss Molly?" she asked.

Kristen peered around the door, toothbrush in mouth, "She sleeps with me," her words were slightly muffled by the toothpaste but they got the gist of her words. Emerging in her pajamas, she climbed onto the bed. "We usually set the chairs on either side of the bed, leaving only a corner for me to climb out of if I need to. Molly feels safer when she's with me or mommy."

"See to it," Stefan ordered. "Nikolas, a word with you about the news you received from Switzerland this afternoon."

"Good night, Uncle Stefan," Kristen said over a yawn. "Do you sing?"

Sam's head shook, "I'm afraid that I wasn't blessed with that ability."

"Neither was mommy but I love to hear her anyway," Kristen admitted. "When she went into the hospital for her sickness, she made a video tape of her singing. I can't really sleep without hearing my mommy. But Uncle Stefan doesn't like TV, thinks it rots the brain."

"Well, he may have a point about that," she admitted, helping Alfred with the last of the chairs. "How's that?"

Kristen opened her eyes and sleepily examined it. "Thank you, Alfred and Ms. McCall. We'll be fine."

"Good night, Miss. Kristen, Miss. Molly," he walked out.

Sam followed him, echoing his wishes as she turned off the light. Pausing at the door, she turned around to look at them, thinking over Kristen's words. Though they looked like they were sleeping, there was something that said they were not quite there. "Miss. Kristen? Would you like me to sing to you? Would it help you sleep?" she hesitantly asked. She'd never sung for anyone other than her daughter before. It felt incredibly weird offering to do it now. The light from the hall provided some cover for the blush that heated up her cheeks. Part of her hoped that she would refuse while the other half just wanted to comfort the girl.

Kristen's big, brown eyes met hers in the gloom of the room. "Would you really?" she whispered. "You don't have to it's just that I don't have Aunt Kristina's number or I'd call her and ask her for a lullaby."

"Sure," Sam reentered the room, shutting the door behind her. "What would you like to hear?"

"Anything," she admitted.

"Do you have a favorite?" she asked, sitting down on the chair.

"I have several but I don't think you speak Russian or Greek," she admitted. "Mommy always sings in those two languages. It's how we both learned them. She's been trying to learn Swedish but it's slow going."

Sam was about to admit her ignorance when she noticed that Kristen's attention had shifted to Molly, her head tilted as though listening to her talk. Brow furrowed in concentration, she listened as well and couldn't hear anything.

"I like that one too," she nodded, turning back to Sam. "Do you know _With You In My Arms_? That's the song mommy first sang to each of us when we were born."

"I don't think so," she admitted. "But that could be because I know it under a different name. Could you sing a few bars for me?" Listening carefully, she vaguely recalled hearing a voice singing it to her so long ago, it was almost a dream to her. The voice was far from polished and elegant but there was a warmth to it and a sense of love and homecoming, she'd always treasured it until time had made her think it was an illusion. After all, she'd only heard it once in her life, once.

As she closed the door behind her, careful not to make a sound, she wondered about this memory. Was this truly a clue to finding her mother? She wanted to find her, to feel a sense of completion to her heart and soul. While her adoptive parents had been there for her, there was a hole in her heart because she didn't know where she had come from. There were pockets in her history, things that made her a complete person, that she was lacking because she didn't know anything about her real family.

She never begrudged the choice her mother had made, not really. Now that she was an adult, she realized that her mother must've been very young when she gave birth to her. Young and scared, most likely unable to care for her at all and that didn't include how her family felt about her getting pregnant. Logically, she knew all of this.

Still, there was a part of her that felt unloved because her mother hadn't even tried to keep her. That she hadn't even tried to find her or leave any kind of message for her to find. Did she even remember the girl that she gave birth to and gave up? She just felt that if she could meet her, talk to her, that feeling of unworthiness would go away. Having Adela in her life because her daughter was so pure, so beautiful that she couldn't help but feel real and connected. She just wanted her to have a whole life, complete with the warts that came with it.

654321

Claudia opened the door, dressed for an early morning jog, hoping to get rid of the phantasmal feeling of blood on her hands. That poor boy…his pale face framed by that appalling white bandage had floated through her dreams, tainting them with despair. Tubes out the side of his mouth, his chest connected to monitors and machines that kept his heart beating, kept him from leaving life, though it was only a half life.

No matter where she looked, she could not escape the sight of Michael Corinthos, lying in a state of permanent comatose because of her – because of her actions and bad choices. His innocent face was everywhere she looked. Everywhere she turned, there he was, hands outstretched, pleading for understanding on why this happened. Why she had done this to him.

How could anyone do this for a living? Make these life and death choices and not see those lives cut short haunting them? Did they not have hearts beating in their chests? Was this merely just another day at the office for them, something that they put on a tally sheet and forgot about? If so, how did they?

So, she wished to escape it all. Escape to the outside, where life was going on, she should be able to chase the sight of him away. She would be able to see something beyond blame filled, innocent eyes. Eyes so like Johnny's when their dad had attempted to take his life and stole away his mother. Shuddering, she tried to push the memory to the side, to focus on the living.

What she was not expecting to see was Kate Howard on the doorstep. She instinctively stepped back, the whiff of alcohol that followed after her surprised her. Johnny had told her a lot about this woman – he had liked her well enough because she treated him like he mattered and was a person – but drunken inebriate was not one of those things he'd told her about.

The woman had always seemed to be in complete and in total control. This was hilarious but it was basically useless to her. A lot of people got drunk – and for less reason than Kate had. Shaking off her amusement, she stared at her, face hard as stone. While she enjoyed baiting her, taunting her, she wanted it to be on _her_ terms, not someone else's.

"What did you do? Fall into a brewery?" she taunted her, arms folded across her chest as she stared at the other woman. For all her swaying, the woman held herself completely upright. Claudia was impressed.

"Is Trevor in?" she asked, trying to peer over Claudia's shoulder. Her eyes darted everywhere, unable to focus on one spot for more than a second. The feeling induced both nausea and euphoria in her. It was a pleasant feeling to stand there, on the doorstep on these hated people, and feel utterly invincible.

"Why? Did you forget that you cut all ties to him?"

Trevor chose that moment to walk out of the den, coffee in his hand, mind thinking a million thoughts. Hearing the snidely spoken questions, he looked over and caught sight of his ex-wife – his obviously inebriated ex-wife – shakily standing in front of Claudia. "What did Corinthos do to you now?" he asked, putting his coffee down on one of the small tables in the hallway.

As he joined them at the door, he none too gently pushed Claudia out of the way. "Never mind, let's get you cleaned up," his words came as he saw her disheveled condition. He really hoped that no one had seen her come here – especially looking like this.

The last thing he needed was the bad publicity that would generate. Not only was Kate Howard high profile, she was Sonny's girlfriend. The attention of many was focused on what she did and who she did it with. A very annoying circumstance but one that kept her mostly safe. With what happened to Michael Corinthos – an event he was still trying to find out if they had any kind of connection with – they could not afford to have such unpleasant scrutiny directed their way.

There was far too much at stake as it was. Ric was sniffing around, looking into their affairs with an intensity that he remembered of old. It was annoying but there wasn't much he could do about it. After all, the boy was his only son. The fact that he was suspicious about them said something about the state of his mind – and might be the key to getting his hands on the piers.

Even as he stood there, his men were scrambling around, looking for any kind of evidence to find out who was responsible. Heaven only knew what that idiot Corinthos would think if he knew Kate had even come here.

"He didn't do anything to me, Trevor. With you hanging around and him being so concerned over any mythical lingering feeling you may have for me somewhere inside of your dead heart, he wouldn't dare. This peace between your clients and him is too important to him to risk breaking it over something stupid. If anything, he has been annoyingly overprotective of my welfare. It's strange because he knows that I don't like him hovering over me," she stumbled over the step and looked down at it balefully as if it was at fault for her near accident.

He winced at her cynical, bitter words, stunned by the venomous sound to them. While they hadn't parted on the best of terms – they hadn't even technically parted on any words at all – he hadn't thought she was that upset over losing him. It had, after all, been her choice to walk away from him. There had been no talks.

There hadn't even been an argument between them to indicate that something was wrong. Clearly, he wasn't the only one who had issues over the way they had parted. Which wasn't much of a parting if you asked him, it was more like she had just given up on them and walked out – without even telling him what was wrong.

But now was hardly the time to deal with it. There were other, more important matters to deal with – like why she was here when he knew that this was the last place she'd ever want to go, even willingly. He choose not to say anything about the feelings Corinthos suspected he still held for her. It would do him no good to tell her the truth, that the man was right, for she had ceased to believe anything he said half-way through their relationship.

And had written him off as a heartless leech on society long ago. "Then why are you here in such a condition?" he asked even as his hand shot out to catch hold of her when she made to enter the house.

She held on to his hand, waiting for the dizziness to go away. It only seemed natural to rest her head on his shoulder, taking a moment to reorient herself and regain her balance. Breathing in his familiar musky scent, she recalled the comfort that it had been in the past to her. The comfort he'd always been to her no matter what life had thrown at her.

When had that changed between them? When had she fallen out of affection – for she knew that while she had never really loved this man, she had cared a great deal about him – with him? When had he ceased to care for her as a human being and she had become merely an ornament for his arm?

When her mind finally processed his question, she didn't think twice before by answering it. After all, what kind of harm would it do to tell them about that woman? It would soon be the talk of the town that Alexis was back. She was too prominent a woman to stay hidden for long. "It was that…that…that classy lady."

"I've been called many things but a classy lady has never been one of them," Claudia smirked. "Thank you."

She blearily glared at her, "Not you. You are a little bug, a squashed female trying to act like a man, thinking that it gives you power and control. I could care less about you because you can't even find the power within you as a woman to accomplish anything without resorting to sexual favors. No, it was the mother of his children."

"Carly?" Trevor asked, exchanging surprised looks with Claudia. "I realize that she is the most unpleasant human being but she's never affected you like this."

She waved that off as well, hiccupping into her hand. Taking a moment to yawn widely, she raised a hand to rub her eyes, trying to clear them. "Sorry, it's been an interesting night for me. Scotch makes for a wonderful bed companion. Or was I drinking whiskey? Quite honestly, I can't remember if I was drinking scotch and then switched over to whiskey or if this is all just straight up scotch."

Pausing again to hiccup, she frowned at him. Irritated with his assumption that she would get into this state of inebriation just because of Sonny's ex-wife, the one he couldn't seem to stand up to and break free from. She ignored the traitorous thought that he'd never love her like that, because that just wasn't true. Carly had to be a part of his life and heart because she was the mother of his children. That was all it was.

"And it wasn't Carly. You know me better than that. It takes more than someone like _her_ to shake me up. She's nothing more than a measly, dirty gnat. A fly buzzing around my ear, being nothing more than a devilish irritant," she paused, trying to remember just what she was talking about. "No, it was the other one."

"Sam?" Claudia offered, more for the sake of seeing how many descriptions Kate could come up with to describe the irritating she devils that flocked around Sonny.

Kate ignored her, keeping her attention focused on Trevor, "I'm sure you already know all about her. You have to…unless…" her words trailed off as she focused on him long enough to recognize a look of utter incomprehension on his face. "Are you slipping up? Could it be that after all this time, you're losing your edge? Well, I'll tell you because you're being so nice to me. It was one Alexis Davis."

"His former attorney?" he breathed out the words, a strange light in his eyes. Now that he heard her name, he started to remember her and her formidable reputation. Being in the position he was in, he'd had her researched but the information was slow in coming. Like many others in the world he lived in – both the legal and the not so legal – he had to learn about her in real time.

By watching and observing her, he had become very aware of the former mouth piece of Sonny Corinthos. He was aware of the rare position of trust she'd once held. A position he was sure that even Jason Morgan couldn't claim as his own. But everyone knew that she'd left him years ago. And what a stir that had created because no one could figure out just what had happened.

Sonny didn't forgive disloyalty from anyone. You left him only if he let you go. So, why was Kate so upset that this woman was back? Surely the woman couldn't possibly still have any kind of real leverage over him? As much as the man loved his children – and it was almost obsessively possessive – Ms. Davis would never use them as emotional leverage to force him to follow her lead.

It would be too tacky for her. "What did she do?" he asked, something else about the woman tugging at his mind.

"She talked to Sonny and convinced him to let Carly call the shots. Even convinced him to think about leaving the mob, as though it was just a nine to five job one could just quit. Imagine writing that up on a resume," she couldn't stop the comment from coming. A wild giggle escaped her lips as she realized what she'd said and she moved about again, feeling incredibly lightheaded as she tried to rid herself of these feelings.

Seeing the sun shining through the tinted window, she finally realized the time and she looked at him, lip half sticking out in a pout. As childishly ridiculous as she must seem, being drunk seemed to take away her control and any semblance of the adult she had become. It was highly disconcerting and, in the back of her mind, she recognized that it was very undignified and unprofessional.

Unfortunately, she couldn't seem to careless about it. "Trevor, I've got to go to work."

"No," he gently contradicted her. "You need to go to bed for a while, sleep this off. I'll have Andrew take you to your apartment."

Her finger wagged under his nose, scolding him. "You're not supposed to follow me around, Trevor. It's against the ground rules you established with Sonny," she added in a stage whisper, fingers making air quotes. "You promised him that you'd respect my boundaries."

"I haven't been following you around, dear Kate. I, unlike some around this charming little hamlet, actually know how to keep my promises. There is this ingenious little invention called a phone book which came along not long after the telephone was created. You may have heard of them, they've both been around for a while. This book contains not only phone numbers but addresses. Addresses that tell one where people live," he drolly said, his arm going around her waist. Though he'd not had a drop to drink, her relentless movements made him feel as if he had.

Seeing her like this brought to his mind the only other time she'd ever been this helpless around him. Shuddering only slightly at the memory of her miscarriage, he managed to push the thought aside and focus on what he had to do now – sober her up. "Come along, I'm sure you hear that bed of yours calling."

"I know what a phone book is," she indignantly said. "I'm may be drunk and disoriented, but I'm not stupid. And I don't believe that you use it at all. I'm sure you've gone and checked it out. You probably even know what color my bed sheets are."

Rolling his eyes, he walked her into the study, sitting her down on the couch. Walking to get her a glass of water he heard the front door open and close, ruefully shaking his head. He really hoped that Claudia was going to do something productive – not stupid. But it was hard to figure out her mind. If only Anthony hadn't sent her away out of fear all those years ago, he would have been able to figure her out better.

There was a irritating little voice nagging at him that she had something to do with the botched assassination attempt on Sonny. And he knew that it couldn't have been anything less than an attempt on the mob boss. Why else would it have happened at night, when there was a legal delivery and he couldn't have his body guards with him, so there was no one else there who could possibly have interfered? The only mistake that had been made was in not making sure that there would be no innocents in the line of fire.

An attempt on the boy's life was not an option.

After all, there had been no precursor threats to his children. Threats on the family were standard operational procedures in their world, not sudden jumps into murder. Going straight for the jugular was risky and only to be done if success was completely assured – which never happened.

It was plainly stupid for them to shot a child, there was too much chance for dangerous retaliation. More mob wars had been started – and families had been destroyed – by such attacks. Thus, it went unwritten that you threatened but never attacked in a deadly manner a child. Kidnap, yes, outright kill – never, though Anthony had never been found of following such a code, the man had very little conscience and restraint when it came to doing what he pleased.

He winced at the thought of the former mob boss. It was better for them all that he was locked away. The man was quite sane in his insanity and he knew no limits. And Trevor would do his best to keep him locked away. "I would never do something so crass, my dear. It is hardly my style and you know that very well. I think you've been spending too much time with a certain gutter raised street mobster if you've forgotten that."

"He's no mobster," she automatically denied, accepting the water with a dubious look. "Sonny is a coffee importer." Even though she knew how hollow the words sounded, the response came quickly to her lips. It was amazing how quickly this false life had established itself in her mind as Sonny's real life.

And there was a part of her that knew that it could very well be the truth, if he actually went through with that _woman's_ challenge to leave it all behind him. The thought of her left a sour taste in her mouth, though she knew there was no real reason for it. While Alexis was the mother of his daughters, Sonny really loved her.

Regardless of their past tussles over boundary lines and his respecting her privacy, her right to have a life separate from his business – and her fleeing his marriage proposal – he still found it within him to love her. It was clear in his eyes and his heart that she was the one he really wished to be with, why else would he confide things in her that he'd never tell anyone else?

Granted, he wasn't taking her into full confidence about what happened with Michael and how he felt about it all, she knew that he would talk to her soon enough. And if he didn't, she would press him until he did so. She was secure that she could do that.

Secure in his love and respect for her, they had gone through to much to quit now. Though she had grumbled over not having enough of a spine to stand up to him, she knew that she could do it and that he'd accept it. She just wasn't so sure how she felt about him having yet another woman in his life. One who, like Carly, held such a powerful grip over him that he would listen to what she had to say and follow through on her suggestions.

Alexis was not like the other woman in his life. Yet another one who shared a connection with him. Sam may have had his child but she had never come into such a prominent position that she could suggest things to him. Suggest things and know that he'd follow through. She was not held in such high esteem as Carly and Alexis were.

A part of her pitied Sam for the lack of respect she received from him. But the woman was a survivor and was doing well now. Free from the grip of the mob, she was safely raising her daughter.

"Kate, don't even try to play that game with me. You know who I really am – and you know that I know exactly who and what Sonny is. I know what he's done. More importantly, I know what he's capable of doing. Drink that up while I go get you an aspirin to tide you over until you get home." He left her alone, grabbing the bottle from the medicine cabinet.

It was still sealed, which he knew would reassure her. It irked him that he had to check for these little details after all that they'd been through. She should know him well enough to know that he didn't tamper with medicine. To messy and revealing in an autopsy. There was pain in his heart as he realized how far they had fallen away from each other. Once upon a time, she had known him and his methods almost better than he had. She had trusted him, not always a wise thing but he'd never let any harm come to her.

Obviously, that had changed if she couldn't even accept a drink of water from him without giving it a doubtful look.

When he reentered the room, he saw that she was fast asleep on the couch. Curled up around one of the dark leather pillows, her mouth slightly opened, she looked less burdened – and hardly resembled the confident fashion maven she'd become over the years. Putting the bottle down, he pulled off her shoes before setting up the other things he knew she'd need once she woke up.

Throwing a light blanket over her so that she wouldn't get chilled, he shook his head. What was he going to do with her now? Sending her home like this was not an option because she wouldn't know how she got there. And she would most likely panic, remembering that she had come here, and that would open up a can of worms he wasn't ready or willing to face.

Sitting down at the desk, he stared at her for a while, remembering all the times he'd done this in the past. Not that he'd ever taken care of her when she was drunk – she was staunchly against drinking – but he had cared for her when she'd come home and collapse, exhausted from work. She still had the same mannerisms – down to the hand that curled around the back her neck.

Though her hair was shorter – and full of more shades than in the past – it still had the same habit of falling into her face. Her free hand rose to bat it away and his head shook, recalling that gesture all to well. The only time he'd tried to help by moving the hair away himself, he'd gotten firmly slugged for the effort. After that night, he kept away from her drifting hair unless the urge to touch the soft, silken sheen proved too much for him to resist.

Of course, when he touched her hair then, he was able to turn the experience into something far more pleasurable for the both of them. It wasn't as if they had only been married for the sake of appearances. She had been his wife in every sense of the word. Their marriage hadn't been ideal but it had worked – until that damned Olivia had gotten involved in their affairs.

That woman had been, not only a painful thorn in his side, but a train wreck waiting to happen.

She had had some very strange notions about what the wife of a consigliore should be. And, while he did not begrudge his wife her success because he rather encouraged her to stretch her wings, he didn't care to have that brainless twit infer that her success was all because of him. Just because she had been the wife of one of the biggest mobsters in the business, it didn't give her the right to dictate to the other wives about her, telling them what they should and shouldn't want from their lives.

Yes, it was true that he'd had some minor hand in helping her get her start. If he hadn't stepped in, she would never have gotten a foot past the front door. That was as far as it went. Ethically challenged as he could be about some things, he wouldn't step on her success and claim it his own. No one had given him his career or his jobs on a silver platter, he refused to do that for his own wife.

It truly was because of _Kate's_ own work ethic and sense of style that had gotten her where she was. The success she had won – the acclaim that was rightfully hers – still clung to her. She'd changed, his little Connie, from that frightened, but entirely all too beautiful and appealing little girl into a confident, radiant woman. And he wasn't sure when it had happened, something that he felt a great deal of regret about.

He'd missed the transformation and had only been caught up in the aftermath of it.

In his own fashion, he loved her. And he couldn't figure out when that had changed. When had he gone from being a mostly devoted husband to a distant associate, sharing only a name and a home with her? He thought she was satisfied with what they had but, again, it was the interference of Olivia that had caused the fractures in their marriage to widen, to crack and break. While he couldn't help but be grateful that she hadn't followed after the steely eyed matron's example for forging an independent life, he truly wished he knew how he lost his Kate.

One day she had been there with him. The next, she was gone. Gone without a word or thought for him, for how he'd feel to find her gone from his life as though she'd never existed at all. She used to bring her troubles to him, for him to either fix or just to listen to. Now, she carried them alone unless forced to share them with others because she wasn't able to fix them herself.

It was a strange thought, that he was completely shut out of her life.

And yet…and yet, here she was, a little voice whispered in his mind, reminding him of her presence.

Why, of all people in this whole backwater, wretched town, had she chosen to come to see him? Why had she chosen him to dump this news on? Did she honestly think he cared about some whorish lawyer who had no ethical conscience and slept with her own morally challenged client?

Of course, he knew that Alexis Davis was no whore and could never be one. The woman was just too well known for her strong convictions, whether they were right or wrong. If she crossed that invisible line with a client, she would quit.

Not even the scandal of her in her lingerie posing for her former fiancée, Ashton, would lead anyone to believe that she was that way. Though there were some who probably hoped it was true, the way she was posing left many thinking about what if. Unfortunately, upon meeting her, such notions were quickly laid to rest. The woman had eyes that held nothing back.

Still, the thought remained. Sexist though it may be, he couldn't help but think of her in those terms. After all, what kind of woman has a married man's child and then leaves him high and dry? From all accounts, she never even gave him a thought. She never considered his feelings on the matter or what he may want.

And she entered into his employ with her eyes open. She knew what he was and what he did, she shouldn't have acted like she had. Again, that nagging feeling that there was something about her that he was overlooking, that he was forgetting, ate away at him. What was it?

Johnny walked in, scratching his side as he yawned. Though he looked awake, it was obvious from the bags under his eyes that he was far from rested. He nodded at Trevor's greeting, looking around, "Where's Claudia?" he asked, meaning to sound entirely casual.

It didn't work.

Trevor looked closely at the young man, eyes narrowed in study. Another nagging feeling hit him about the way the siblings were acting, stronger than ever. If they had something to do with Michael, he knew that they'd stand by each other. The only question was, how could he work on damage control – and framing someone else for the crime – if they wouldn't talk to him? He knew they didn't trust him, but they should at least believe that he was capable of covering their asses when push came to shove. "Where she usually is at this hour, jogging. What is going on, Johnny?"

"What makes you think anything is going on?" he retorted, crossing his arms.

"The fact that you and Claudia have been casting furtive looks around the place ever since Mr. Capwell came here, asking questions about your whereabouts on the night of the shooting," he dryly replied. "I have eyes. If there is something I need to be aware of, you need to tell me about it. Immediately."

"There's nothing – why is Kate here?" he asked, almost sitting on her. "And smelling like that?"

"Ms. Davis, the mother of Sonny's daughters is in town," he said, letting him think that he believed his words. It wouldn't hurt to let the boy think he was safe. There was a better chance of him slipping up if he thought that he and his sister were safe from further scrutiny.

"Cassadine's aunt?" he asked, surprised. He hadn't heard anything from Lulu about this – and he figured she would know, being the sister to her nephew.

Trevor's mind jumped – that was what he'd missed. How could he have forgotten that explosive tidbit? He'd knew that she had been a part of the family, but was some kind of poor relation who'd gotten into a struggle between her and Stefan Cassadine. Once the dust had settled, she had been ejected from the family seat.

But the startling revelation in the wake of the battle could not be erased or forgotten – she was closer to the family than cousin. It was to great a tool to be ignored. The information that she was no charity case cousin rocked the underworld. Alexis Davis was the Cassadine Princess, illegitimate though she may be. A full blooded member of the family changed everything for him – including the way he had to deal with her.

After all, one did not go about threatening a member of one of the most powerful families in the world. The connections that family had were far more extensive than most intelligence agencies could hope to achieve. "Where did you hear that?"

"From Lulu," Johnny had the feeling that he shouldn't have mentioned that particular connection. The sense of an axe about to fall upon the poor woman's head filled him. He shook it off for there was no reason for him to be concerned about her. Even if she was vaguely related to Lulu, they weren't close enough for her to be harmed by whatever happened to Alexis. Luke might but Lulu didn't even know the woman that well. So, why should he care about her? "I overheard her and Nikolas talking about how well his aunt looked at the wedding."

"What else do you know about her?"

"What more is there to know?" he tried to shrug, wishing his sister would come in. While he didn't really want to throw her to the lions, he really wanted Trevor's attention off of him. Not only didn't he know that much about her, he was too tired still to deal with Trevor's mind games.

"Where has she been? How did she get Corinthos to accede to her wishes regarding their child? What kind of hold does she really hold over him? Does she still retain any kind of contact with any of his partners? Is there any way that we can turn this to our advantage? You are the scion of Anthony Zacchara, heir to one of the most powerful families in the United States, start acting like it. If this Lulu girl is distracting you, I believe that it is time for you to end your relationship. What she gives you, any well paid woman could do – and they would not be as dangerous to you as this little child."

Johnny's lips pressed together at the implication that he was negligent or lead about like a dog in heat. "What I have with Lulu is not like that at all," he protested. An idea came to mind and he leaned against the couch, arms bracing himself up against the arm as he stared at Trevor, voice cruel as he said, "Even if it was just about sex, why would I cut myself off from this font of information? Computers can only tell you so much. From your reaction, I'm guessing that this is the first time you've heard of their connection. I have access to more than you could get with your network of spies – including the fact that her father calls Ms. Davis Natasha. I think that denotes a close friendship between the two. Wouldn't you?"

"Perhaps," he slowly nodded his head, acknowledging the truth in Johnny's words. "Or this could just be a thin veneer of an excuse to keep close to this little girl. Tell me something, Johnny, why should I believe anything you say in regards to what girl has to say?"

"Give me until tonight to prove that there is some worth in keeping her in my life," he bargained, faking a calm he didn't feel. Somehow he knew that if he didn't get Trevor to agree to his proposition, it would put Lulu and her family in the line of fire. That was something he could not allow. "If I don't get something of value to you, I'll drop her. I will cut her out of my life completely."

"You've got until tonight," he agreed, weighing the options carefully. He'd keep his eye on the situation, make sure that nothing too egregious could happen as a result of their flirtation. Plus, there had to be some other benefit in keeping the child around – even if it was merely to keep her father in line. The though of that man and his rather extensive connections in both the legal and mob worlds worried him. There was something about Luke Spencer that ratcheted up his danger feelings in a way that no one ever had.

If there was ever a true danger to them, it wasn't in the gunmen around or even Sonny Corinthos himself – it was the wild card that lived in Port Charles. That man was a danger to any plans they had. Having his only daughter near them, right in the midst of their fold, might – just might – keep them safe from him. After all, he wouldn't want to risk her life through any foolish action.

He didn't think he could say the same thing about the man's wife. If Luke troubled him, he couldn't quite figure out how he should feel about Laura Spencer. They always said that still waters ran deep – and she was one of the calmest females he'd ever met. Knowing of her past, he realized that the woman was dangerous, lethal even. He had a bad feeling that should anything happen to Lulu because of them, there _would_ be hell to pay.

And that woman would be the one to make them pay it in spades.

654321

Claudia jogged, trying to keep her mind from spinning into to many circles. So, Sonny had an Achilles heel even bigger than his sons and his hot headed temperament. How had she missed it? Forget blaming herself. How had they all missed this information about this woman and her daughter?

It wasn't as if she could've disappeared off the face of the Earth, taking all record of her with her. No one was that powerful, though many dreamed that they were. With the way computers went everywhere, there was just no feasible way for someone so high profile to disappear completely and not leave a trail of some kind.

Yet, there had been no trail left by this Davis woman.

None that she could find when she'd done her research into Sonny and his Organization branching out into those he associated with. While she'd had a footnote, nothing else had been mentioned after she'd left him seven years earlier.

Contrary to popular belief, she was a computer savvy woman – even if it wasn't something people believed when they learned about it. While she hated the perceptions people made about her upon seeing her, she knew there was reason. Rarely, if ever, did she do anything to discourage it because such perceptions came in handy. Still, it stung that people only thought she had no brains at all, just a body to use.

Because she was more than that.

She was proud of the fact that she knew her way around computers. Knew how to take them apart and fix them, knew how to transcribe and hack. It was not common knowledge, but she had designed the very program that kept her family's business information locked up tighter than any other security program ever would be able to. Though she was pretty sure that if Spinelli put his mind to it, he'd be able to crack the code easily. It figured that such a genius would work for the competition and yet, not be fully appreciated for his skills.

On a dare from the bubble head she shared a room with, she had taken the class. Figuring it would be boring, she was prepared to stick it out for as long as she could tolerate a class full of mind numbing figures and blank screens that she'd have to figure out how to use. After all, high quality clothes were hard to come by – especially _genuine_ high quality clothes.

Yet, the class intrigued her, challenged her senses in ways that her other classes hadn't been able to. For the first time since entering boarding school, she felt invigorated by what she was discovering. Nothing else engaged her like this class did with its unusual language and strange computations. Quickly finding herself making excuses to stay in it, to move on up to the next class they offered in computer science, she drank in this new knowledge, this new world. Strangely enough, things made sense to her.

Labeled a geek by her fellow classmates, she ignored those words and poured over her studies, poured her energies into every little thing she was learning. It was extraordinarily liberating, the way these computers offered her safe anonymity. No one knew who she was or what she really looked like. And more than that, she felt like she was making her grades based on her mind and not her family's money and reputation.

Her teachers either didn't know or didn't care – and it was a new experience for her. While it made her work that much harder, it was one she didn't know quite how to handle. What she did know was that she liked it. Their attention towards her had nothing to do with her body. Though she had never deliberately used her body in such a fashion – her father would have been most displeased had she done so – she knew there were some who thought she had. This was one class that had proven – to her at least – that she could actually make the grade on her own merits. Every minute of that class had given her confidence in herself that had been lacking.

These classes had literally changed her life.

And then, she came to Port Charles and everything went to hell in a hand basket faster than one could blink. She knew exactly when it had happened, to. Because instead of remembering what she'd accomplished, she fell back on a familiar stand by. It had started with her disastrous encounter with Sonny – one she knew better than to have – and continued falling down from there.

Stupidly, she had accused him of acting upon his emotions without thinking things through first – and yet, she was doing the same thing, piling mistake upon mistake. Her lowest point to date was this thing with Michael. What was she going to do about that? Now that Johnny knew most of the truth, it was only a matter of time before others learned of her involvement in this affair. A secret this explosive could only remain a secret for so long. It was like juggling lit matches around a powder keg and gasoline.

Sooner or later, one would fall and it would all go up in smoke.

It didn't help that Lansing was already poking his nose into their affairs. He'd already been seen hanging around her father. That thought made her shudder and her tempo increased, focusing her thoughts on her path for a while. Her father _had_ to be kept out of this, that was the only way any of them would be safe.

Of course, Trevor wanted to keep him shut away. It was the only way he'd be able to keep his seat of power. The thought of their lawyer was another troublesome spot, though she was in total agreement with him on how to handle the problem that was Anthony Zacchara. While he'd called her home, she knew that he wasn't pleased with how things had evolved since she showed up. What had he expected her to do when he hadn't bothered to take her into any kind of confidence? And he was more than a little suspicious about what might have happened the night of Michael's shooting and what role she had played in the calamity.

The very state of her aloneness hit her like a ton of bricks. She had no real allies to turn to – Jerry Jacks had proven to be less than idea for her purposes. His loyalty to his brother mirrored hers for Johnny. This should have reassured her. They both should have been able to bond over this commonality, this bone deep desire to protect their siblings from this mess.

But this hadn't happened, he backed away from her, leaving her to face this alone. He left her alone to face the wolves that she had encouraged to awaken and come beating at her door. And she should have realized that he would do it because his attitude towards the plan she and Devlin put forth had hardly been secret. He had argued against it, stating that it would be stupid and utterly pointless to go after Sonny like this.

Of course, she'd never actually heard him say it, they hadn't met that often. Still, she could tell from his expression of total contempt what his feelings were. His very assurance that going directly after Sonny was a plan doomed to failure had been as irrefutable as it had been obvious – why had she discounted him? Why had she let her arrogance rule over her?

The man had known the mobster far longer than she had. He would have known about his weaknesses and strengths. It would have been knowledge born from actual experience, not research from a computer and from only observing him for a few months. Computers really could only tell a person dry facts, not the flesh and blood details that made all the difference between reality and fiction.

Claudia knew she was no slacker when it came to judging someone's character but she had really screwed up by not factoring the luck that seemed to follow Sonny around. Luck that Jerry seemed to be extremely leery of and wanted no part in challenging. She thought he was being overly cautious, pathetically sentimental even, over the man who was father to his nephews.

So, she dismissed his feelings as merely superstitious nonsense. After all, no one could be that consistently lucky, not unless they made a deal with the devil – and Sonny wasn't the kind to do that. Make those kind of prayer bargains, yes. But he'd never do it with the devil.

If she'd only listened to him.

Now, she was stuck with him knowing her secret. Not only knowing, but he was toying with her, making her wonder if he'd ever tell anyone the truth. The man was an enigma, not quite a mercenary but not quite a white hat. He had a semi-conscience, but hardly any morals. If he chose to come after her – and being no fool, she knew that he would at some point – how could she fight him? Did she even stand a chance against him?

What with Devlin breathing down her neck and no way out without turning to the men in her family, how could she stand against his inevitable attack?

Jerry Jack's only Achilles' heel seemed to be his family – and he _would_ kill her if she attempted to use them against him. While that would solve all of her problems, it would leave Johnny alone to pick up the pieces of the mess she had made. A mess she hadn't even want him to get involved in in the first place. She couldn't do that to him, not after he'd fallen into this problem – especially since he didn't even know the full truth. Because of Devlin, he only knew of the doctor's part in this.

The last thing she wanted was for him to come into contact with Jerry. That man was not the kind of person she wished upon her worst enemy. Devlin had brought him into their arrangement for a reason. Just what kind of man was Jerry Jacks? To all intents and purposes, he seemed like a hired gun. Just a rube like one her father would have hired to do a job then been summarily dismissed.

But he wasn't like that at all. There was something about him that left her feeling more than a little cold. A little shaken in a way that she didn't like.

Then there was Devlin, a man whose cruelty left her ill at ease in a way Jacks did not. There was something unhinged about the good doctor, something that she couldn't place. It felt familiar to her though, almost like grief twisted into madness. What else could have caused a seemingly sane man to snap and take a chance, shooting at someone when there was a chance that an innocent could be hurt?

Just what was she to do about him and his non-demanding demands of her? What would he expect of her? Fully aware that he desired her, she wondered if she could buy his silence with her body. Shivering, she felt sick to her stomach at the thought. Could she do it? Could she honesty do that in order to spare her brother the knowledge of just how deep this whole thing went?

There had to be a way out of this without resorting to whoring herself out to him and she would find it. While she'd used her body to get what she wanted, it had always been on her terms. If she gave into him, she would be forced to do what he wanted. And that was something that she just couldn't countenance for she knew she would become the man's slave, forever bound to do what he wanted her to.

She just had to resolve this without causing more problems – for any of them. No situation could be that impossible to cure, there had to be a key, she just had to find it and use it – without selling herself out. And that meant protecting Jacks for he probably had some kind of hold that would reveal her part in this.

If only she'd thought to do some physical legwork, find out more about Devlin and his associates. Instead of trusting the man, she should have done the work herself. Stupidly, she had trusted that this associate of her uncle's wouldn't lead her astray. She was an idiot, her uncle would be ashamed at how she had handled these affairs – especially after he'd taught her the best of the business.

Knowing there was no point in continuing to retread over her past mistakes, she forced herself to let it go. She got herself into this mess and she would get herself out of it. There had to be someone in this whole town who could actually advise her without judging her actions. Her eyes brightened as a thought came to mind.

It was crazy, true – outrageous even. Was she that ballsy that she was actually thinking about pleading her case to a virtual stranger in the hopes that what she wanted would be attained? Would it be merely a foolish fancy – or could this be an actual answer? The delusional dream of a desperate mind reaching at any rope thrown her way in an effort to pull out of the quagmire she'd fallen into?

Somewhere inside, she believed that it was her only chance. Secrets would have to be spoken, but there was a slim chance that it would not prove to be vain. She turned back to the house, feeling strangely hopeful, knowing that there might be someone who could help, one who'd created a shock wave when she arrived. A shock wave that none of them had been expecting at all.

Yet, Alexis Davis may be her only salvation.

654321

Jerry finally rose from the chair, leaving Alexis sleeping peacefully on the bed. The morning light shone into the room lightly and he closed the blinds firmly, not wanting her rest to be disturbed. It had been to far in coming and, as far as he could tell, until that last hour, had been far from a peaceful rest.

As he stretched, he winced, feeling the strain of the night in that uncomfortable chair hit him right in his lower back, next to one of his newest wounds. While he was in good shape, even the fittest person would be hard pressed to not be affected by these horrible plastic chairs the hospital provided for visitors. He wondered if it was some secret plan to add more patients to their lists.

Shaking his head at that absurd thought (though he wondered if it could be the truth), he made his way out the door and shut it quietly behind him. A slight smile crossed his face as he recalled Alexis' last words to him before crossing over to look in on Michael.

Jax was there and he was slightly surprised that his younger brother had actually stayed with the boy. With the way his brother had been acting lately, he hadn't been to sure that that would have been the case. Deciding to leave them alone, he backed up quietly and made his way down the hall, searching for food and coffee – not necessarily in that order.

Sonny watched him go before walking into Alexis' room, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. The severe weight loss that was all to apparent in the flannel nightgown she wore. Pulling the chair closer to her, he sat down and took her hand in his.

She started awake at his touch and looked over at him, confusion in her eyes before memory flooded her, and she slowly nodded at him, "Morning," she greeted him on a yawn.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you up. After last night, I know you need your rest."

"Had to be important for you to ignore that very important gut instinct to let me sleep," she yawned again, glancing about curiously. "Where's Mr. Jacks?"

"He just left. Listen, Alexis, there's something you need to hear about," Sonny started to say more but her look silenced him.

"Sonny, I don't want to hear it. I'm not infatuated, bewitched, or even bothered by Jerry Jacks – I just have some need to know information about who and what he is. That is going to have to be sufficient for you. I will not tolerate you acting as though I need you to be my white knight even if my choices in male companions seems to indicate that I need one. What I need is for you to just trust me on this. Jerry Jacks is far more than a sociopathic terrorist – he's not even that, it is just a mask he wears for a purpose known to the FBI. Leave him alone and you won't get hurt," she ended by sucking in a deep breath.

"Lexis, what's wrong with you?" he asked, dropping the subject instantly – more because her face had gone a shocking color he couldn't even name and she was gasping for breath. This was not like the other times she'd lose control over her breathing and they thought it was nervousness or asthma.

This was serious – and life threatening.

"About six months ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer," she simply said, sparring him the whole diagnosis, of how close she'd come to losing her life. There were just some things that he wasn't ready to hear. Some things she wasn't ready to tell him, but she knew she'd eventually have to no matter what the outcome of her treatment. As much as she had wished to spare him this, the situation was no staring at her. She had to tell him everything.

Sonny sucked in a deep breath, feeling as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him by a firm blow to his solar plexus. Staring at her, he tried to contemplate what she'd just said. What those words – _diagnosed with lung cancer_ – could possibly mean. Nothing made sense to him and his worldview shrank to the smallest view possible, a world where two darling little girls were robbed of their mother because of something like this.

Her hand felt incredibly fragile in his, delicate to the point of breaking under the slightest pressure. "Oh, Lexis, are you supposed to be here? Are you going to be all right?"

"Breathe, Sonny," she teasingly said. "I'm the one with the cancer here, not you."

"Don't joke about this," he scolded her.

"I'll be fine," she reassuringly squeezed his hand. "There are a few things that I need to remember to do, like take my medicine and drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration, as well as eat what I can. With everything that's been happening – even before I heard about Michael, I just lost track of my schedule. I'm going to be fine."

"The girls?"

"Well, they don't quite understand everything that's happening to me but they're tough. Laura has been invaluable to me over the past few months. And Kristin and Molly support each other. It takes away a lot of my fears to know that they are there for each other," she shook her head. "They're so close, Sonny, that I don't really fear for their future because I've seen how they react to danger. They pull together."

"Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes. He felt helpless and needed to do something, to focus on something to help her like he couldn't help Michael. As much as it pained him to admit it, Michael's care was in Jax and Carly's hands. He could offer input but he couldn't take it from them, not without going to court over it. And he didn't want to waste time fighting that battle when he could spend it with his son.

This situation with Alexis was different. This was the mother of his daughters…even more importantly, it was his best friend. His best friend who may die and there was nothing he could do to help her body heal. So, there had to be _something_ he could do for her, to help her fight this battle. It would be beyond him to just sit back and let this happen without doing anything.

"No, everything has already been arranged if the worst happens to me. Should I die, the girls will be cared for. I don't intend to die," she firmly added, seeing the denial spring to his lips. "But I had to be prepared for the worst thing that could happen, Sonny. Surviving the particular form of cancer I was diagnosed with is far tougher than most people believe. I will be constantly watched and monitored for the rest of my life. It's not something that sits well with me but there it is."

Her free hand struggled to reach the glass on the night stand. Gratefully, she accepted it from him, sipping carefully. "Thank you. I can honestly tell you that the thought of death terrified me, especially when I thought about leaving my girls behind me. But I had to face reality. I could die. I had to answer those tough questions, ask that the girls be cared for and protected. It was the only way to make sure that the future didn't prey upon my mind more than the disease. Once that was assured, I could concentrate all of my energies upon beating this."

Sonny was silent, realizing what she wasn't saying. By her very silence about her true condition, she had kept him out of some of the most important decisions in their daughters' lives. What their future would be, who would be the ones to care for them. "Do I even get to know what you decided to do? What role I am to play in their future?"

It was the almost bitter sound in his voice that caught her ear, reminded her of her friend and all they had shared with each other. She'd known how hurt, how saddened he was by her decision to move away from Port Charles and not let Kristen visit him here.

Now, of course, he understood to the fullest why she'd done it. But when this had first happened, he'd fought her tooth and nail to try to be a part of his daughter's life. She'd held firm and only now was she beginning to understand just how much that must have cost him. There were several firsts that he'd never experience, never really know about, because she had kept them apart.

"I asked Luke and Laura to be their legal guardians, to make all the important and unimportant decisions regarding them. I know that you trust them. And I want them to be raised together, away from your half-brother, there's just something about him that doesn't seem quite right. Laura will be strong enough to protect them from the mob lifestyle and the temptations it offers. She always has been stronger than Luke, its how she was able to beat back the damage of the poison she was given that caused her catatonic state. Whether you leave the mob or not is inconsequential, Sonny, there will always be people who believe you are a part of it. Who will threaten those you love and care about, I cannot take that chance that it will happen to our daughters."

"Is there no chance for me?" he asked, half afraid of her answer. But he was pleased with the choice of Laura as guardian to the girls. Even with Luke's rather uncertain influence, she was strong enough to help them mourn and live if the worst happened. He'd been grateful that a true cure had been found for the medication she'd been given all those years ago. It was a marvel to see how happy Luke was now that his angel had been restored to him. Even though they didn't live in Port Charles any longer for Laura still needed treatments that Shadybrook couldn't offer her, they visited often.

"You have choices, we all do," she shrugged. "I mean, if you leave the mob, what are you going to do then?"

"Keep the coffee business for my own," he replied, having already thought about this. "Plus, my other legal businesses, I could never give up Puerto Rico and my casinos there. That will be enough to keep me comfortable for the rest of my life."

"And then what?"

"I don't understand, Alexis," he said, frustrated with the question. It shouldn't have been difficult for her to understand. He leaves the mob and everyone he loves will be safe from his enemies. "Isn't that enough?"

"Sonny, danger is too ingrained in you for you to easily settle down. You need to think about what you are going to do if you go through with this idea," she shook her head, reading his incomprehension easily. "Let me see if I can help you here."

A chuckle escaped him, "You're no longer my attorney, Alexis. It isn't your job to give me choices to make my life less complicated."

"But I'd like to believe that I'm still your friend. And as your friend, I want you to be happy," she tilted her head, waiting for his reply. When he was silent, she nodded, "So, let's think about this logically. You are a man whose used to being in charge and being safe. What are you going to do with your life now? The first thing you could do is to stay in the mob. Granted, it isn't an ideal solution but it is the life you are used to living. Yet, it isn't what you want to leave as a legacy to your children. You've already paid a high price for staying in, now, you want out – and out safely.

"Okay, how about this. You could always stay in the mob but slowly back away from it so that you won't suffer from withdrawal. To you, the mob has always been about the high that having all that power gives you, nothing more than that. Yes, it makes you feel safe and allows you to provide for the future of those you care about. And you do like your creature comforts but that isn't all. It is more about the way power makes you feel inside. You, my friend, are a danger junkie."

"Breathe, Alexis," he interposed the gentle warning, seeing the way she was struggling for breath, trying not to make it sound like an order. Now that he knew what was wrong with her, he was resolved to be more cautious about letting her go on about anything. Even though he enjoyed watching her get fired up about _anything_, he was not going to risk her life. She was doing her best to help him, he could hardly do less for her.

Though she glared at him, she stopped talking and breathed deeply. She just sat there and breathed until the tightness in her chest relaxed and she was able to talk once again without seeing spots before her eyes. "A third option is to quit cold turkey and then start a new life, one that you will hopefully be able to relax into. This solution is more troublesome because you are, as I've said, an addict. You need that contact high or you will suffer jitters which will make you do things that are inadvisable. Not to mention, you are far too used to body guards being around you to do without them."

Her head tilted in the direction of the window and he looked out it, recognizing one of his newer men there. Was his name Burt? He frowned, wondering who had sent him. Jason knew that he was here and that he'd be fine. The only other option was…"Would you excuse me for a moment?"

"Sure," she settled back, watching him walk out the door. While slightly curious, she didn't fret over wanting to know. It really wasn't her business anymore. Which reminded her, reaching for the phone, she dialed a familiar number. "Hey, Janet? It's Alexis."

"_How could you get yourself readmitted after I cleared you for travel? You assured me that you would be careful_," the scold was both affectionate and exasperated.

"I know," she sighed. "I thought I was being careful. Kristen reminded me to take my medicine and drink up. I guess we just lost track a little while ago."

"_Alexis, you have to be more careful. I've sent your information straight to Dr. Trent. Now, I know you don't want to hear this but you need to remain in the hospital for twenty-four hours. No less than that, are we clear_?"

"Janet," she started to protest.

"_No less than twenty-four hours or I will join you in Port Charles and not leave your side for one moment. Not only that but I will bring Teal'c with me so that he can supervise you when I am unable to_."

This was no light threat. Janet could – and would – do exactly that. With a sigh, she agreed, "Very well, twenty-four hours of bed rest. And Janet?"

"_Yes_?"

"Thank you for being a pain in the ass," she laughed with Janet. But her laughter was softer, knowing that there was danger in even the simplest of things. A light coughing fit could become a torrent if she wasn't careful.

"_Not a problem_," Janet smiled, looking up at Jack. "_I've got to go, the General is here. What should I tell him_?"

"That I haven't killed myself yet," she wryly smiled before they exchanged good-byes and hung up.

Sonny walked up to the man, "Is something wrong with Kate?"

"No, sir," he replied, keeping alert for any trouble. Even though it was rather quiet, he should not relax his guard one iota. It was when things were the quietest that the worst trouble seemed to happen. The only problem he'd seen was Jacks but he'd disappeared into his nephew's room after giving him a peculiar look.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

"I'm doing my job, which is to watch over both you and your son," he said, giving him a confused look.

"Right," his lips compressed, "How long have you been here?"

"I followed you," Burt replied, wondering why his boss was asking such an odd question. As far as he knew, his job was still to protect him and Michael. He'd not been told otherwise.

Rubbing his face, he reluctantly admitted to himself that he was so used to these men being there, he no longer felt them. Leaving this part of his life behind him was going to be a tad more difficult than he'd thought. "Would you mind going to get some coffee?"

"Whose going to watch you?"

"We'll be fine while you're gone," Sonny replied, doing his best to keep his temper in check.

Though reluctant, he walked away. Sonny shook his head, reentering the room.

"You were saying?" he asked, sitting back down.

"Hmmm?" she asked, shaking her head to clear it of her conversation with Janet. "Oh, yes – I remember, a new path for you to walk if you do leave. The only other choice I can think of is that you leave and find some other line of work, similar to what you know in the mob but one that is less likely to keep you in the public eye. While this one is the best answer, there are some problems with this solution as well. One of which is your own code, you will never become a stool pigeon. You will never turn state's evidence against those in the Organization, which makes you ill suited for undercover work. This is something you will have to find your way around."

"There aren't that many options that match what I've spent most of my life doing, Alexis," he dryly pointed out.

"Still, there are some that you could chose that won't have you violating your weird ethical code," she retorted, eyes struggling to remain open.

"I'm going to leave you now," he rose and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him. Leaning against it, he thought about her words. The problems she foresaw if he left troubled him, as did the fact that every one of her solutions to them seemed bland and uninteresting.

Obviously, he needed to put more thought into what he was doing. This was not something that he could just rush into. It occurred to him that Kate had been trying to tell him the same thing just last night. May be not the exact same thing but he was sure that it was similar. After all, she knew what the mob was like. It had been a part of her life with Trevor Lansing, she would be the best person to talk to about how to leave.

And yet, he wouldn't listen to her.

How could he discount her words and opinion like that? This was the woman he wanted to spend his life with, not only should he listen to her, he needed to bring her in on this decision. It was to be her life too, no matter what his ultimate decision was. Kate was going to stand at his side. He could foresee no other place for her to be than right there with him.

Thus, she should be in on this talk. Reaching for his phone, he pushed himself upright and walked down the hall, dialing her number as he went. Flipping it shut before it could ring, he changed his mind. He decided to have Burt drive him to the Crimson office, see her in person. Perhaps they could have breakfast and they could talk, he'd apologize for being a heel to her.

"Sonny Corinthos, I could strangle you with my bare hands for this," the words echoed down the hall and he shivered, turning to face the enraged woman behind him.

End, Part Three

_Author's Note: I didn't know they were actually going to make Claudia a jogger. This is getting serious_.


	5. Chapter 5

_Title: Return to Port Charles  
Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.  
Pairings: Same as before, no shake ups at all  
Note: I can't adequately describe, or rather, write Bobbie's wrath. There just wasn't enough of her on screen for me to get a good feel for her. I have no back video to watch of her when she was actually a full blooded character on the show. The opening is going to have to suffice, let your imaginations supply the rest_.  
_Author's Note: I do apologize for the long delay in updating. I've been having troubles at work and with my computer. Thanks to everyone who is faithfully waiting for an update, I really appreciate the support. As everyone who writes knows, that support is invaluable to an author. It really is._

654321

Bobbie Spencer drew herself up to her full height and glared at the man who'd been her son-in-law and was the biological father of one of her grandsons and the heart father of the other one. Eyes snapping fire, she held his gaze, standing her ground. "I thought you said that you were not a danger to your children anymore? That you had learned after what happened to Adela, Michael, and Morgan at the hands of Faith?" she demanded answers from him. "If this is true, what happened to Michael? I want real answers from you, not empty words or promises of vengeance upon the perpetrators of this crime."

"He was shot by someone we are assuming to be an enemy of mine, though we may be wrong about that," he answered, waving at Burt to step back. There was no true threat in her words. Even if there were, he knew that she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She may have been a brassy dame, but cold hearted and dumb she was not. It was one of the reasons why she was one of three women he listened to and respected. "Bobbie, I know how you must feel…"

"Do you?" she asked, harshly interrupting him. "Do you really think you can understand the very rage that colors my sight as I look at you and know what your lifestyle has done to an innocent soul? That it is because of your inability to listen to anyone, that you translate any warnings they give you about the violence of your life into an insult against you?

"Do you know what it's like to have a child die before you do? That you continue to draw breath when your child does not? Not a day goes by that I do not think about BJ, about what her life might have been had she lived. I don't begrudge Maxie her life. I am grateful that she lives. I am thankful that BJ's heart was one that matched hers and kept her living.

"But I miss my daughter. You think your remorse, your guilt over what has happened, will change the fact that your lifestyle is what did this?"

"I know it won't," Sonny breathed the words out, trying to relax under her steely gaze. In his heart, he knew he deserved whatever Bobbie had to say to him. Her own experience in losing a child gave her insight into what he and Carly were about to face, what they would spend the rest of their lives facing. There would be no cheap words of solace from her.

It didn't make them any less painful to hear.

"From another, I would believe that. From you…," she trailed off, shaking her head. Her shoulders drooped, rage falling away from her as her clenched fists finally relaxed. While the rage was gone, she had yet reached the point were she felt any compassion for Sonny's situation. Even without seeing her grandson, she knew full well what to expect from a brain injury like Michael had sustained, what life had been cut off from him.

"I really wish that I could bring myself to believe you, Sonny. With all my heart I wish that I could believe that you understand for you seem so sincere. Finally, you're acting like you know that all the remorse in the world cannot change what has happened because of you.

"But I don't.

"Your history is too rich with the tragedy that happens to those close to you. Brenda and Carly became targets for your enemies, your first wife Lily died in your place, and what of Courtney, your sister? Because of your insistence that she be a part of your life – something she actively fought against – she has been in the line of fire several times. Many times, there were those who harmed her, attempting to get to you. All of them have suffered because of you and you never seem to learn the lesson that these attacks on them – through them – scream at you."

She shook her head, real regret in her voice. "You are not a violently, dangerous man, not unless you have to be. I just wish that I could say the same of your lifestyle. You are surrounded by violence in all forms. And **THAT** is what truly makes you a hazardous person to be around. Why you can't see this distinction is beyond me. But because of your blindness, you put everyone around you in danger."

Claudia saw the two talking and quickly backtracked before she could be seen by either of them.

The last thing she wanted was to have a confrontation with him. Even tamped down, she could see the anger seething beneath the façade of calm he projected. Or to have him sending his body guard after her to find out what she was doing here.

Seeing an orderly, she asked if there was another way into that wing. After a few moments of conversation, she followed his instructions and walked down the seldom used hallway, seeing almost no one other than a few medical personnel. She could see why it was seldom used. The feeling of quiet condemnation crept over her. It seemed to seep into her bones the further down she walked.

It reminded her very forcefully why she hated to be in or near a hospital.

Peering around the corner, she saw no one there and walked into the waiting area. Stopping again to look around, she saw that two of the doors were closed. Checking in the one she knew was Michael's, she saw Jax and Jerry, deep in conversation with each other.

Shivering, she forced herself to look away from the helpless boy on the bed, guilt creeping up her spine at what she had set in motion.

The other room simply had to be the one she was looking for. She really couldn't afford to traipse all over the hospital looking for Ms. Davis. Not only would that cause suspicion in the minds of the doctors, there was just too much chance that Devlin would catch her. That was something she didn't want to happen for it would cause a dreadful scene even if she tried to remain calm. She hoped that she would have time to state her case before anything could prevent it.

Entering it, she closed the door behind her and shut the blinds on the observation window. For a moment, she debated the lock, deciding against it. That would bring up more questions than she could afford at this particular moment in time, not that she could afford being questioned at all. As quietly as she could, she moved over to study the woman on the bed.

Whatever she had been expecting to see about the woman she'd heard so much about recently, this was not it.

Hair a rather plain looking brown with golden highlights, she was a woman who had a patrician air about her. A tall woman who would normally have a slender frame but currently, there was an unhealthy thinness about her brought on by the sickness that obviously plagued her body. Alexis Davis did not seem too be at all that powerfully dynamic or able to stand up to Sonny in anyway.

Was this truly the woman who had made Kate lose her famous composure, had caused her to get drunk and turn to her despised ex-husband for comfort?

"Most people consider it morbid to stare in such rapt absorption at someone who is sleeping. Especially when that person has a fatal condition they are trying to get healthy enough to fight," Alexis dryly said, her eyes remaining closed. "Do you have an actual reason to be here other than a gruesome fascination with studying the apparently sleeping dead?

"Or is there some kind of closeted necrophilia in your family line that has focused its attention on me?"

It was perhaps the first time anyone outside of her family had ever sensed her when she'd entered a room. How had she known that she was there? The woman didn't look capable of much of anything. Claudia thought back, trying to think of any sound she might have made or if she'd brushed up against something, even lightly as she walked over. The shades had been silent as they had shut. There was no squeak from the door.

And her shoes did not make those horrible sounds that cheaper ones did.

"Don't worry, you were very quiet. But, as a Cassadine, I've been around people who move quietly during much of my childhood. If one can hear the help, they were fired. A high class servant is one who is not heard and rarely seen. As a result, I've trained myself to know when a stranger enters my sphere. And there is a hint of danger around you that I would have to be numb not to feel," she laughed darkly, eyes opening at last to see her visitor.

Her brown eyes studied the strange woman curiously. Of medium height, with hair a glorious shade of black styled slightly longer than shoulder length, her golden brown eyes were sharp even if she seemed to be lacking her voice and wits at the moment. If she ever regained her composure, Alexis just might find someone with a sharp enough wit to challenge her. "And you still have yet to answer my question, Ms…"

"Claudia Zacchara," she faintly said, finally regaining control of her voice. There was a sharpness in her voice, revealing her anger at the fact that she'd been caught off guard. She'd been trained all of her life to hold all the cards, never revealing her hand, even if her recent behavior made a joke of her training. Within seconds, she'd lost the advantage to some woman she didn't even know – even if she was a Cassadine.

That's when her mind stuttered to a stop.

She knew that name.

That reputation.

Of all the people in the world who might possibly have the power to help her, she had to get the one from that family. She had just jumped into bed, so to speak, with a devil of another kind. This one was far more dangerous and unknown, even her father had never attempted to touch them.

"Cassadine?" she repeated, a ghost of a sound in the silent room.

"I take it you've heard of us," her reply was softly sarcastic.

"Who hasn't?" Claudia queried.

"You'd be surprised by how many are unaware of us. Or rather, the power my family still has," Alexis dryly said, watching the younger woman stand there in utter shook. Her eyes were wide in her face as though she'd honestly thought the Cassadine was some boogey man family, used to scare children into behaving.

"Since it's apparent that you know about me, at least my family name, I will dispense with introducing myself. Even if I am not the one you were actually expecting to find – or at least my family name was not one you were expecting to hear – I am correct in my belief that this was not a room you choose at random," she prodded.

"No, I wanted to see you," Claudia admitted, wondering what else to say. There was nothing in her past experiences that helped her to understand how to handle this devilish family. In fact, there was nothing in her lessons on how to deal with such a woman as this. Most women never remained confident in her presence. The fact that Alexis not only remained confident but was able to keep her off her feet and in the position of petitioner unnerved her terribly.

Pulling herself upright, she ignored the way her muscles stretched and protested against the agitation. The slow forthcoming of information was beginning to grate on Alexis' nerves.

So she took full command, never mind the consequences. "Let me give you an opening since you seem to be lacking one. This has to do with Sonny. In this town, very little happens that doesn't revolve around him or his family. It doesn't surprise me at all that you are one of those things. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you are from the new mob family in town, the one I was hearing a few mumbles about when I arrived last night.

"Either you know something about what happened the night that Michael was shot and are afraid that you're going to be harmed because you said nothing to him or Jason about it when it could have been stopped. An impossibility since I doubt either man would've listened to you given your status as their enemy. Or you are behind it in someway. In which case you want to save your backside and have sought my help in evading the axe that will surely fall upon your head for you've heard that I've got some strange power over Sonny, that I can manipulate him into doing my bidding.

"Would you like to sit down while you tell me how I am doing so far?" she paused, head tilted as she studied the other woman curiously. Of course, the other reason was that she had simply forgotten to take deep breaths as she spoke.

Again – she really had to work on that.

"Pretty good," she said, sinking into the offered chair. Listening to her dry and precise tone of voice, the way she calmly and accurately summed up the situation, she changed her opinion about her despite how ill and frail the woman looked.

Amazing as it seemed, the woman was obviously sharp enough to pick up on things no one else had yet. It might have been the distance she had from the town and the situation, but she was sharp as a tack. It seemed like her impulse decision had been the correct one. For once, she was on steady ground.

Alexis really was turning into her only option.

"Why didn't Corinthos drag you back from wherever you've been all this time? It's obvious that you aren't the run of the mill, Harvard graduated lawyer."

"Yale," Alexis sharply corrected her. "I went to Yale. As for why, I work in a place that's very secure. Have _you_ ever tried to break into a military base? Considering how many specialized units and troops surround my family at all times, it is a nearly impossible task.

"Note, I said nearly impossible. There are rare – very rare – cases in which someone has managed to penetrate our security. But those are far and few between, which is why I live there. There is little to no chance that Sonny will get past the security."

Especially since Teal'c had redesigned the whole security system. The man had trained his whole life in the arts of subterfuge and security, there was no one – on Earth at least – who matched him in skills.

Well, so far as they knew.

It was a very comforting thought to know that he had their best interests in mind, that he was on their side. And it made her lips twitch in a smile she quickly suppressed at how frustrated it made those of renegade groups that they could no longer get into their facilities – even those off base. But she knew better than to bring him up for, as an alien, he would not be found by anyone who was not a part of the trusted circle outside Cheyenne Mountain.

The best part of the situation was that she truly felt safe from Sonny's enemies – and her own.

For she was not dumb enough to think that his enemies were the only ones she had. Yes, his were strong and quite interested in her since she had given birth to his daughter. But they were the least of her concerns.

She knew full well that Helena had not forgiven her for the sin of her existence. That given the chance, she would wreck utter and complete holy vengeance upon her and her daughters. If there was one thing she would never be able to tolerate, it was that the little half-breed mouse had a family and happiness.

Helena hated it when people were happy without her permission – especially people she didn't like to admit existed at all.

"I thought you were an attorney," she observed, leaning back, hoping to learn more about Ms. Davis.

It might help her to know how best to handle the situation, to may be even keep an even head and clear mind about her. There was little to no chance that she'd ever regain the advantage, but she might be able to put them on an even keel – one she'd be far happier about. After the disaster with Devlin, she'd decided no more half-hearted partnerships or walking into things blindly. From now on, it was a full partnership in which she was holding more than a few cards of knowledge – or nothing at all.

"I am," Alexis said. "I help the civilians who live and work on the base. Many of whom don't feel comfortable with the JAG attorneys, feeling that they don't quite understand their position as civvies. But this is not why you are here. What exactly do you want me to do?"

Claudia sighed, resigned to walking into another situation blind. It was against what she wanted – what she knew she needed. Yet, she was also wise enough to see that this was the only way she'd get any help. Besides, there was something about this situation that felt different than the one with Devlin. Something told her that she could trust Alexis in this, though it went against everything ingrained in her from birth and training.

The Cassadines weren't the only family who were found of rituals and training. "Is anything I tell you going to leave this room?"

"The moment you confirmed my suspicions, it became a conversation between an attorney and her client," she said, pinning her with a hard look. "Nevertheless, I cannot protect you fully. If you are guilty, it will come out. If you are trying to make me an accomplice after the fact, you will not like the results.

"I may not use my Cassadine connections and the things I learned from my family, but that does not mean that I am ignorant of their ways.

"I _will_ seek restitution from you should you attempt to use me in any way, shape, or form to cover for your crime. I am _not _some toy you can use at will and then discard. I am the daughter of Mikkos Cassadine, born and bred to act accordingly. I have no qualms about taking out any threats to me or my family, even if you have gained my sympathy.

"Are we clear?"

"Perfectly," she paused, wondering what to say now. Standing up, she paced the room restlessly, stopping by the observation window to peer out the shade she'd pulled back. This was not a conversation she wanted to be having face to face.

Coolly, the whole story tumbled out of her lips as she stared almost blindly out the window. Her face felt frozen, locked into stone to match the tone in her voice. From being called by her father's consigliore to Port Charles, to meeting and sleeping with Sonny on her first night there, to walking away after finding a wounded Kate Howard, to calling upon Dr. Devlin – who had called in Jerry Jacks – to the night Michael was shot and how devastated she had been that an innocent had been caught in the crossfire of what should have been a simple hit.

"I never thought he'd do something _that_ stupid, taking a shot when there was a kid in the room. Even if he was the child of Sonny, I thought Devlin had more sense than that." It was the first time any emotion had leaked into her voice and she stopped, knowing there was nothing more to say. Turning around, she waited to hear what Alexis would say.

"I will not lie to you, Ms. Zacchara, this is bad. It's far worse than what I expected to hear. There is no real way I can defend or explain your actions to Sonny in anyway that he would accept. What kind of man is Dr. Devlin?" she asked, almost resigned to framing and killing the man. Even though it was in her to fully ruin and destroy the man without implicating her or anyone she had taken under her protective wing, such a thing was something she'd fought her whole life against doing.

Not to mention, there were other factors involved that may be ruined should she harm Devlin. While she had no personal connection to Claudia, what she knew of Jerry meant that she actually had to protect him from any kind of backlash.

Sitting down on the bed, she stared down at her, "I don't know." It was quietly, sheepishly admitted.

"You entered into a professional relationship with a man you knew nothing about?" she asked, almost stunned into breathlessness. "That was most unwise of you."

"I know that. My actions may have been stupid – but I am not," Claudia leaned forward, her brassy attitude coming back to her. She was not going to stay in here and be treated as though she was an idiot, even if her actions had a tendency to belie that fact. It was a mark of shame but she wasn't going to keep beating herself up over it. It was done and there was nothing she could do about it. "But there's nothing I can do about him now. He's going to sell me out if I don't do what he wants."

"A man like that will sell you out anyway," Alexis scathingly replied. "You lost that upper hand with him the moment you engaged him without checking into his background. What you need to do is regain it – and I don't mean by trying to backtrack and cover your tracks. Or trying to frame anyone for your actions, such attempts are always clumsy and ill done _because_ they are inspired by panic. While Devlin is the one who ultimately made that decision to take that shot, you and Jerry are accomplices because you knew about the hit. There is no way around what's been done."

"Should I confess to the police?" Claudia asked, almost willing to do so. The idea of going to jail was unappealing and terribly frightening to her. She knew what happened to women in jail. Her father was nothing if not willing to educate her about what would happen to her should she get caught doing something he would be far to disgusted with her to punish her himself. Though there were very few things that could disgust her father, he was not above mentally torturing his children in order to keep them in line – and retain power over the family.

Still, if this was the way out of the mess without getting Johnny implicated, she'd do it.

As her father had quickly learned, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for Johnny. It was probably something she should keep from others, though she didn't think there was much of a chance of that happening. "Would I get a lighter sentence if I turned in state's evidence against Devlin? Is there anyway I could plead for a deal? Receive mercy?"

"From them, yes – but you wouldn't live long enough to see Devlin put away. Forget Sonny, Jason would put a bullet in your brain for this," she said, thinking hard. This is why she had left in the first place.

The murky morals of the town made her head-ache. On the one hand, everyone was against the mob presence and every once in a while made agitated motions and gave discontented speeches about getting rid of the mob. There were always a few half hearted attempts to clean up the city, but they never came to fruition for they ultimately accepted the mob presence for it was an enemy they could see.

An enemy that brought in a lot of money and provided a lot of jobs for many people in town – both legitimate and illegal jobs. It never failed to amaze her, the double standard that existed in this town. They didn't like the evil that was here, but they loved the prosperity that having the evil here brought to their town. In troubled times, a constant flow of money and job security was the one comfort most people had.

"So, what do I do?" she asked, almost despairing. If a Cassadine couldn't figure out a way out of this mess, then there really was no hope for her.

"Go to Wyndemere and ask for Stefan Cassadine," Alexis told her. "He will be most reluctant to see you but don't let that fool you – he will be curious enough to let you talk to him. Dress in a less flamboyant manner, in darker colors – a black or a dark blue would be appropriate – and a longer length in skirt if you can manage it. He'll be more inclined to listen to you if you do not flash your sexuality in his face.

"My brother has an unfortunate tendency to believe that a woman who dresses in a manner that makes her feel both confident and attractive is only trying to use her body to get something. Stefan does not tolerate that kind of thing. Again, don't let that fool you. Even though he is old fashioned in that regard, he is not in regards to a woman's abilities. He believes that a woman is smart and capable, that they do not need to resort to using sex to get what they want.

"Considering his mother, that is not actually very surprising," she said, an ironic twist to her lips. "Make sure that you introduce yourself by the name you wish to be called. Stefan is a real stickler for proper speaking and will address you by the name you give him. Now, this is the most important thing, after you introduce yourself to him, tell him that Zasha – with a soft z sound – says that sapphires mean allegiance."

"Sapphires mean allegiance?" she repeated, shaking her head. "I don't understand."

"You aren't supposed to," she said. "It's a message for him so that he will know that I actually sent you to him."

Claudia nodded, "And then?"

"Stefan will talk to me, find out what my opinion on this situation is, and handle it."

"What will he ask from me in return?" She was not reassured by Alexis' explanation that Stefan wouldn't want sex from her. Men _always_ wanted sex in exchange for favors and this was no small thing she was asking for. She was asking him to erase all traces of her from what happened so completely that no one would know that she had ever been involved.

"From you, absolutely nothing. From me," Alexis sighed, "Complete and unquestioning loyalty."

"Why are you helping me then?" she asked, struck by the resigned note in Alexis' voice.

"I've always been a sucker for defending the indefensible," she shrugged as if it was no big deal. She had become resigned to her rather bizarre hero complex after all these years. "Why do you think I stayed Sonny's lawyer for so long? The pay was good, but it wasn't that good."

"What about the sex?"

Alexis's laugh was bitter, almost bitingly harsh, "Nice to know that the rumor mill still works with as much accuracy as it ever did. Ms. Zacchara, rarely is anything you hear from them the truth. It was one night that might have become more had Carly not seen us and gone off, nearly getting herself killed in shock.

"I was thrown aside in favor of the ex-wife, though my own behavior after that night that also resulted in this split. I was trying to be supportive of him and his grief, his need to find her. What I ended up doing was shutting out my best friend who was in too much pain over Carly to fight back as he once would have."

"Ouch," she winced in sympathy.

"Don't I know it," she nodded. "But I find that things are better this way for I could never stand his lifestyle and I am a rather selfish woman when it comes to my love life. Being second place in any man's heart is not my idea of a good relationship.

"You best be on your way," she advised. "The last thing you want to do is run into any of my acquaintances in this town. Or rather, that's the last thing I want. Right now, I'm not up to defending my decisions and choices of who I talk to."

Claudia left, thanking her. Walking leisurely down the hall, she wondered if she actually had any outfits that matched the orders she'd been given. Her whole wardrobe was designed to catch the male eye and to be seen as the top predator. The idea had always been to stay the center of attention, to be bold and out there. What she needed to do now was be sedate, modest.

Tilting her head to the side, she wondered if she could pull it off when she was used to running the show. Even dressed in such a manner, would she be able to convince him that she was sincere? And what kind of person was this Stefan Cassadine anyway? There was really nothing known on him like there was with Helena. Alexis was unnerving enough but she had a feeling that he would be far worse – and not just because he was male.

His name alone spoke of aristocratic power and authority.

Jerry walked in, feeling that something was off in the room. And it was going to bother him until he figured it out because all of his senses warned him that something was wrong. "Something happen while I was gone?"

Alexis blandly said, "Why would anything that happens to me concern you, Mr. Jacks?"

"Because, darling, _you_ concern me," he replied, sitting down on the chair.

"Because of your unsavory reputation in this town?" she archly asked. "Or because of Dr. Devlin and your interesting business association with him?"

"How do you know of him?"

"I have my sources," she replied, eyes veiled. "But they hardly concern you – at least, not at this particular juncture in time. You, after all, have not asked for my aid, just offered yours in a rather brash and pushy manner. What I want to know is, why didn't you stop the shooter that night?"

"Are you so sure that I didn't do it?" he asked, leaning forward. This was curious. With her sharply disapproving attitude concerning him, that belief that he was capable of doing just about anything questionable in the eyes of the law, he'd been sure that she would have thought he was guilty. The fact that she wasn't puzzled him. "There are those in this town who think I did."

Settling back into the pillows, she shook her head. A wry smile crossed her lips as she spent a few minutes just breathing deeply. "Most of the people in this town are idiots. Besides, it would affect Jax in a bad way. And, mischievous or bad, you've _always_ been about protecting Jax."

"I was strung up by Devlin's men," he admitted softly, for her ears alone, "Literally."

Alexis winced, easily imagining it. It wouldn't be the first time she'd heard of such a thing happening. Her head shook, wishing that her imagination wasn't quite so acute. Yes, there were times when it came in handy. This, though, was not one of them. "I take it he didn't like your objections – or does he know the truth?"

Now, Jerry didn't pretend ignorance of what she was referring to. "You know who I am, don't you?"

"Which persona are you referring to?" she asked. "The charming rogue Jerard Jacks, black sheep of the family and my former brother in law. The man who went to great lengths to rescue Jax and I from our Saharan crash. Or did you mean James Craig, terrorist?

"Of course, you might also be referring to James Brosnan. The man who poisoned my nephew –yet, who is also a shadow enforcer for the WSB. An agent who resides in the shadows doing the work that the Black Ops can't because they work on definite time limits – and the spies are not amoral enough to do?"

He whistled, "You're good. How did you know?"

"Oh, come now, Anna Devane and Robert Scorpio allow you to _breath_. From what I understand about the hostage crisis, you shot Robin – their beloved child – and denied her proper medical care. The daughter they are insane about protecting," she scathingly pointed out.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her, eyes amused by her droll tone. "Somehow I think there is more to it than that, darling."

"Well, it could be that money laundering – you remember, that was the reason you left Port Charles in the first place – is a Federal charge. Merely disappearing for a time does not make it go away. You have been walking around town, using your real name and the agents of the FBI have not had you arrested. In order for this to be possible, you had to have cut a deal with someone in power. The FBI who theoretically always has their finger on the pulse of this town. I say theoretically since they never can seem to catch any of the mobs that proliferate around here."

She paused for a moment, studying him. Then added, almost blandly, "And I cheated. When I talked to Janet earlier, I asked General O'Neill about you. He told me."

"Well, he wasn't supposed to," Jerry said, leaning back, hands behind his head as he stared at her. Frankly, he was amazed to find that she had contact with one of his bosses. He hadn't thought she was that much in trust.

"Then don't tell anyone," she retorted, seeing him tense up. Realizing that he must have picked up on the scent of the woman's perfume, she decided not to withhold anything from him. It wasn't as if her association with Claudia was going to be kept under wraps once Stefan got involved – and it did affect Jerry in some fashion. She just wished she knew what good the WSB thought he'd accomplish by having him get involved with the Zaccharas.

It made absolutely no sense to her. As far as she knew, the Trust was not selling information or goods to that family. Unless it was under wraps that was, which was entirely possible. "Yes, Ms. Zacchara was here."

"What did she want?" he sharply asked.

"My help regarding her – and by extension your – role in the shooting of one Michael Corinthos the third," she coolly replied.

"And what did you tell her?"

"To see Stefan," she felt no need to hold back that answer either. Stefan would be here after he'd talked in length to Claudia. She knew he'd do an independent research of his own into the situation and realize that she was correct in sending the woman to him. Then he would demand more answers from her, answers she wasn't all too sure she could give him.

Of course, knowing how protective he was of her, he might be here before then. It had taken her long enough to convince him to leave her at the hospital overnight without having him hover over her.

Jerry stood up and approached the bed, sitting down. His eyes snapped fire at her, "Are you mad, woman? That tramp will eat you alive."

Her eyes narrowed, "I do not need you to tell me what I can and cannot do, Mr. Jacks. If you care to recall, I was raised as a Cassadine before I changed my name to Davis. If anyone has bitten off more than they could handle, it is _**not**_ me. And Ms. Zacchara understands that full well, I saw it in her eyes. Unlike _some_ people who have forgotten what that name means, what terror my family has unleashed, there are those who remember and teach their children to fear the name and power of a Cassadine.

"Make no mistake, Jacks, if I wanted to, I could destroy every single person in this town before anyone could make a move to stop me. I just choose not to do so."

He shivered, wondering if she knew just how much of a turn on her confidence was. Well that, and the absolute authority she held over her name and position in the world. He'd never met anyone quite like her and was pretty glad that they were on the same side. He had an uncomfortable feeling that she'd make a hellishly, deadly enemy.

"Now, get off the bed," she ordered. "Hovering over me is rude and unnecessary."

"You're a cruel woman, Alexis, darling. A very cruel woman," he sighed, not moving at all.

"And you are a persistent, obnoxious pain in the…"

"Aleksandra, such language is unnecessary to prove your point. You have never resorted to profane language before. Do not start now," Stefan's voice cut her off sharply. "Mr. Jacks, I wish to speak with my sister in private, though I thank you for acting as her bodyguard throughout this night. Your services are no longer required as she will be moving to Wyndemere as soon as she has been released."

Jerry faced Stefan before turning back to her, studying her. "Your thanks are unwanted, sir. I did it for her sake, not yours."

"Thank you," she smiled graciously, even if there was a bit of falseness to it. "Though I cannot quite imagine why you would do so. While Jax and I are friends, you and I never were anything more than dinner companions."

Leaning closer, ignoring Stefan's presence, he whispered, "You've always intrigued me – but I stood back because you were my brother's wife and I was involved with Bobbie. But now that I know that you never consummated the marriage, there is no reason for me to not pursue you, darling." Pushing himself up off the bed, he let his hand linger momentarily, tracing a path up her side. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Stefan watched him go, shutting the door with a snap once assured that he was beyond earshot. The last thing he wanted was an audience – especially one he didn't trust. It didn't help that there was something about him that reminded of him of Robert and Luke.

And those were two men he highly despised. "That man may have his uses, Aleksandra, but I do not want you to have any further association with him."

"How does one get a sociopathic maniac to back off without putting one's self into danger?" she asked blandly, thought her eyes were full of curiosity. She wondered if he would actually have an answer for her that would actually work on a man like Jerry Jacks. Considering how similar Stefan and Jerry were, she wouldn't be surprised if he had an answer that would actually work.

But knowing him, he would never contemplate the fact that the two of them could have been cut from the same ruthless cloth. Stefan was a snob in every sense of the word and would never admit that he had something in common with such a peon.

"I am serious, Aleksandra, that man is dangerous."

"So are you," she shot back then sighed, closing her eyes.

"Stefan, I don't want to fight with you about something as ridiculous as this. The only way to stop any relationship from developing between myself and Jerry is if I leave town. Right now, that is not feasible and I am not in any danger from him. He's on our side – and that is all I will say regarding him," she warned, seeing his mouth open.

"Coming back to Port Charles with lung cancer – even though it is in remission – was a dangerous risk but one I was willing to take for the sake of Michael. He needs to have as much emotional and mental security now as can be gathered about him. And I have agreed to help someone who will be going to Wyndemere later on today to talk to you, so I don't need this stress between us," she informed him, effectively changing the subject.

"Aleksandra," he let out a sigh as he sank into the chair. "You are being most obstinate."

"I'm being what I trained myself to be in order to survive being raised on the Island by your mother," she retorted, knowing that he knew it was the truth. Had she not developed some skill early on that Helena might one day find of use to her plans, Helena would have disposed of her once Mikkos had died. The only reason she had been spared so long was because of his vague attachment to her. Or rather, to the memory of his lover – her mother. Thus, he was protective of her. For that alone, she was grateful to her father.

"Does she know the truth of us?" he asked.

Alexis' head tilted to the side, "She is aware. Whether or not she knows the full extent of our family's…methods is another matter entirely. Still, if she has regained control over her mental abilities, you will not find her lacking."

"I am holding you to that," he said.

"I rarely expect anything else from you."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note : Sorry it's been so long since I've updated this story. I've been having a few issues with it, hopefully resolved ones. Thanks for your support and patience. I really appreciate it. This story may undergo a massive edit because of certain things that have happened to me in RL that harmed my creative juices._

654321

Out of a sense of courtesy, Stefan returned home in time to meet with this mysterious person who dared to address and ask for help when Aleksandra was so ill that she couldn't refuse. That someone had actually approached a Cassadine, finding of who they were and still having the daring to ask for help, intrigued him. That kind of gumption he could admire for it reminded him of Laura and her courage.

Upon entering the house, he went in search of his nephew. The last thing he needed was an interruption in the form of children, charmingly well behaved though they could be. "Nikolas, I am expecting company, though I am not sure when they will arrive. Alexis was rather vague when she asked me to agree to this meeting. I would appreciate it if you would take the children and Samantha out for the day."

"Well, Kristin wants to go to the park," Nikolas admitted. "How long do you want us to be gone?"

Stefan kept his face schooled in a politely bland expression but inside he shuddered. His nieces and great nephew playing in a common park, among the commoners. It was utterly unthinkable but worked with the way he had raised the boy. He had trained him to be dignified but to abhor the trappings of his royal family. Though he had been raised to be a true Cassadine, there were some aspects of the Cassadine heritage that were distasteful to the modern mind. Thus, Nicholas had been taught to eschew those habits for he had to be the Prince for a new world.

Yet, this was going a bit too far for his liking. He stilled his tongue against speaking about against it, instead saying, "I would suggest you have dinner out, they would enjoy such a treat."

"Is Alexis to be released today?"

"That was the original plan but Dr. Drake wishes to keep her under observation for another day. It appears that she did not have as restful a night as one would have hoped. The only reason she got any rest at all can be attributed to the presence of Jerry Jacks," he said, watching his nephew's face go pale with rage and disgust. "My reaction as well, Nikolas. But his presence in our lives cannot be helped right now, so calm yourself and acquaint yourself with the idea that yet another bad boy will ingratiate himself into Alexis' graces until she is well enough to depart in safety."

"Can't you forbid her from seeing him?" The moment the words left his mouth, he felt a fool.

"That is quite a medieval view of our relationship, Nikolas. I have never been fully able to forbid Alexis in any aspect of her life. While she may listen to any advice I may have for her, nine times out of ten, she will go out and do precisely as she pleases. If seeing Jerry is what she wishes to do, she will do it no matter our wishes upon the matter," he paused, adding thoughtfully, "Besides, I have a feeling that she knows more about him than we do. Something that removes him from the normal pile of bad boys she should have developed the common sense to avoid and yet, has not."

Nikolas shook his head but didn't say another word, knowing it would do no good. His uncle had made up his mind to have nothing more to do with the situation. That left him to talk to Alexis, he had to make her see reason. Perhaps if he told her about his experiences at the hands of both Jerry's identities, she would stay away from Jerry.

Of course, his Uncle was right.

He couldn't be foolish enough to try to forbid her from seeing him if that was her desire. The one way to make really sure that she did the exact opposite of what you asked was to order her not to do it. Ned had found that out the hard way when he tried to stop her from working with Sonny. He'd been right about the danger but he'd underestimated Alexis's pride – and her habit of championing those who were impossible to defend.

She loved a challenge more than anything, though for her children's sake she may step away from this one. "You did caution her to be careful though, right?"

"In her condition, I don't think she'll be anything _but_ careful."

"That isn't very comforting, Uncle," Nikolas said, rather uncomfortable with the implications behind Stefan's words. They seemed to be talking about two very different kinds of cautious actions – neither of which was palatable to him.

"It is the best I can offer you under the circumstances," he calmly replied, pouring himself a drink and sitting down with a series of papers in his hand. "Should you not get ready to leave? I'm not sure it is a wise thing to deny the children time to play in the sun."

An hour later, he looked up when Alfred cleared his throat, "Yes?"

"There is a young woman here to see you, Master Stefan."

"Thank you. Would you please make sure that we are not disturbed, Alfred?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," he sounded almost affronted at the implication that he would be derelict in his duty towards anyone in the household. Alfred took great pride in knowing his job and doing it to the best of his abilities. He was well aware of the delicate and often difficult business transactions his employers had on their hands and made sure that they had everything they needed.

And that the world outside the doors of Wyndemere was kept there as needed.

Rising, Stefan put his papers into his desk, locking the drawer. He hardly expected anyone to steal them but, considering the volatile information they contained, he was not about to take any chances. When the woman walked in, he studied her. Dressed as she was in a calf length dress of black with her dark hair pulled away from her face, he didn't recognize her.

"May I help you?" he asked, trying to remember when he had seen that face before. There was a definite aesthetic beauty to her face, one that he was rather intrigued by. There was also the sense of money to her, not quite old world but hardly nouveau riche either. The manner in which she carried herself, however, had a certain air of uncertainty. It was not distracting in and of itself; it was merely there to be noted.

What troubled him more was this nagging sense that he should know who she was immediately.

Claudia took a deep breath and introduced herself, grateful to Alexis for sending her an appropriate dress for this interview. Whatever help her outer garments could give her, she needed that artificial aid badly. As facetious as it sounded, the dress really did make the woman on this occasion.

Grateful also that she had remembered the message for the suspicion in Stefan's face had relaxed – minimally, yes, but it had relaxed upon hearing it. Her eyes studied the man she had only ever seen from a distance, only slightly prepared for undiluted Cassadine after her meeting with Alexis. This man was far different from his sister. He was a master of his atmosphere and totally at ease with himself in a way she'd never seen before.

Stefan Cassadine was, in a few words, breathtakingly powerful.

The fact that he was gorgeous in an aristocratic way didn't hurt either. There was a leashed and totally menacing sexuality to him that surprised her, though she knew that it should not. This was the son of Mikkos Cassadine, a man renowned for his seductive prowess and brutality. The son of Helena Cassadine, Mikkos' coolly predatory wife whose sexual appetites were also well known.

Here was a man she didn't think she could ever say no to if he showed the slightest interest in her.

"Sit down, Ms. Zacchara. It appears that we have much to discuss," Stefan couldn't help but be impressed by the composure shown by a woman he'd heard referred to as the town's new whore. There was a clearness in her voice and a directness in how she looked at him that he approved of. A direct look that, while it contained a small measure of attraction for him, was more businesslike than anything else. To him, that raised his esteem of her slightly for it was rare to find someone who did not let attraction get in the way of business.

He had a feeling he was a rare case, though. It was of no consequence, so long as she did not become insipid the more time she spent with him. Laura told him once that he had that affect on women. "Tell me, what is the purpose of your visit to Wyndemere? It is hardly on the list of places people in Port Charles wish to visit."

"I'm here because I need your help on a matter concerning my involvement in the shooting of Michael Corinthos," she baldly stated, wanting to get the ugly truth out as quickly as she could. Once it was out, they could begin to work.

"How much have you told Ms. Davis?"

Though she had expected the question, she was still unsure of how to answer him. Sitting with her hands in her lap, she turned so that she could face him. "Everything," she told him. "I needed her help, Mr. Cassadine, and knew that the only way to get that was to be honest with her."

"What exactly did you hope that she could accomplish for you that you are unable to procure from other sources?" was his next question. Stefan was studying her and was impressed with the way she was direct. As far as he could tell, she was not trying to obfuscate. What he needed was the entirety of the story, but that would come once he'd gotten the basics out of the way.

Claudia figured that this was a test of some kind but she wasn't sure what it was. As such, she decided to go on gut instinct and tell him the truth. Tell him what she needed and hold nothing back, "I don't know what I thought she could do for me. All I know is that I was foolish and because of my foolishness, a child was shot. Ms. Davis has the ability to reason with Sonny. I thought that she could help me with him, perhaps help me find a way to save my own life – and my brother's. When I came here to Port Charles at the request of our consigliore, I had no intention of doing what I did.

"But I met Sonny. The man…has a way of making me lose my rational thought. From what I've heard around town, whether it is just gossip or not, many people feel the same way about him. Some in good ways, some in bad, but they are always affected by him. I attacked him when I had no real provocation for doing so," she paused, the admitted, "Nor real power to do so. A child is paying that price – and my death at the hands of a mobster would do nothing to help Michael."

Stefan nodded, but his look asked her for more information.

"I have nothing else to say, Mr. Cassadine. The last thing I expected was for her to send me to you."

"My sister rarely acts in these kinds of situations without consulting me. As I have a far more extensive knowledge about how these things work, I am far more equipped to help you deal with this than she is."

"But she has power over Sonny!"

"Yes – power that she cannot use when it is because of you that his son is in a coma. There is no way around that fact," Stefan paused and looked her in the eyes. "Alexis may be able to work legal magic upon his troubles. She may even be able to offer him advice and give him options to make things less complicated. But when it comes to something like this, it is not in her hands. By trusting her with this, you have trusted this to me. Of the two of us, I am a far harsher task master."

"So, what do you want me to do?" she asked, a resigned and cynical note in her voice. This must be a side of his personality that he didn't allow Alexis to see. Otherwise, she would not have told her that he would ask nothing from her. The confidence in her voice had allowed for no other pathway to be opened before her.

Stefan's cruel smile crossed his face, "Do nothing but trust me. I don't want you to act in any manner other than whatever is normal for you. You will forget this meeting ever happened, that you ever talked to me or my sister about what happened. You will forget your role in Michael's shooting – every part of it. Do not betray yourself in any manner by going to him. Yes, it is a harsh edict – but it is the only way if you are to be seen as blameless.

"If Devlin approaches you at any time, send him to see me, never betraying your emotions to him. He does not need to know of your new alliance on your whims. You must let him approach you – you have already lost enough power to him. You do not want to lose more out of an incautious act of pride. Other than that, I want you to act as though none of this ever happened. It is up to you to convince everyone in this town – and especially your family as your brother already knows the truth – that you knew nothing about the shooting until after it happened."

"What of Jacks?" she asked, reeling in shock at what he wanted from her. It was as Alexis said, he required nothing of her save her forgetting everything and trusting it to him. "He knows about my involvement. I highly doubt he's going to allow me to go all Mary Poppins about it."

"Perhaps not, but that is my concern now, not yours," he told her.

"I don't think you know who you're dealing with when it comes to him," she warned, remembering the cold look in his eyes as they'd talked on the docks. If Luke hadn't walked by, she didn't know what would've happened to her. No, Jerry Jacks was a fearsome opponent. One she didn't wish to meet up with ever again. She feared that Stefan underestimated him – as she had.

It was not that hard to do for Jacks only showed people what he wanted them to see.

"On the contrary, it is Jerry Jacks who does not know who he is dealing with. Clever he may be, but he is not in my league," his voice was calm and measured. "This business is in my blood while it is only learned by him and others like him. I was raised, not on vodka or distilled poison as many assume but on pure, undiluted Machiavelli."

Claudia shivered, recognizing the truth. Of all her father's allies, none had the deadly intent Stefan had. She had definitely had a tiger in her corner; one she felt for sure would never betray her – as long as she never betrayed him. Oh, how her father would writhe like a worm if he knew about this. The implied threat of his words that if she ever spoke of this alliance before he was ready to have it out stopped her thoughts cold.

The last thing she wanted was for him to turn his cold revenge upon her.

Still, there was something that was bothering her. It was evident that he had the power, why did he only act out when pressed? "Why do you allow Corinthos to run this town when it is so apparent that you could easily get rid of him?"

Stefan rose to his feet and walked over to the side table, pouring himself a cognac, swirling it about idly in his hand as he offered one to her. Hypnotically, she watched the way it shimmered seductively, beckoningly in the light, shaking her head in refusal.

"I could get rid of him. Easily," he agreed, rather calmly for what he was addressing. "If I so chose, he would disappear and no one would ever be able to find out what happened to him. And yet, I have fought my whole life to not give in to the superiority complex of my family. While I am far more qualified to control this town, it is the principle behind it all that I refuse to do so. If I fall into that oubliette of my family's darker tendencies, it will not be over some plebian like Corinthos.

"Besides, he saved Aleksandra's life. For that, I cannot simply kill him."

Claudia blinked, surprised by this tidbit of information. "Your honor won't let you kill him?"

"It is far more complex than that, Ms. Zacchara," his tone was as repressive as his look, shutting off all conversation regarding Sonny.


End file.
